SantaCon 2025 recap: A quieter crawl through the East Village?

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

If SantaCon 2025 felt a little less chaotic in the East Village, that wasn't your imagination. 

For the second year in a row, the annual pub crawl landed with a noticeably lower-key presence. Several official venues we stopped into on Saturday afternoon were either lightly attended or nearly empty, and there were fewer scenes of Santas passed out on sidewalks or stoops than in years past. 

We also heard from multiple EV Grieve regulars throughout the day, and while that doesn't mean nothing happened, we didn't receive reports of notable incidents as we have in past years.

That's not to say enforcement was absent. We witnessed multiple open-container summons being issued — $75 tickets — including along Avenue B near Eastpoint and on Second Avenue near Ninth Street. Still, we didn't personally observe any arrests. 

A spokesperson at the 9th Precinct said there were no fixed checkpoints in place. "We deploy based on conditions, crowds, jobs, etc.," the official said.

Bars we visited — including 7B, Doc Holliday's, Downtown Social, The Copper Still, Sly Fox, Brasserie Saint Marc and 10 Degrees — were generally accommodating and allowed us to take photos. One exception: Solas, which was less than welcoming about it. (We'll leave it at that.) 

Here are a few photos from the afternoon...

Interestingly, several SantaCon participants asked whether locals hate SantaCon — and whether they were "assholes" for coming down to drink and roam around the neighborhood. (Yes?)

While opinions certainly vary, this year's event felt less volatile than in the past, with fewer flashpoints and a generally calmer vibe on the streets.

Meanwhile, several East Village venues proudly displayed their anti-SantaCon signage — a tradition that continues — but overall, SantaCon 2025 came and went with comparatively minimal disruption.

Make of that what you will.