Big Santa is coming back to Westfield Garden State Plaza for a ninth year, and this time the giant holiday figure is arriving by fire truck for a celebration built around a fireworks finale and a run of nostalgic 1980s, 1990s and 2000s acts. The event is set for Sunday, Nov. 22, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., landing near Entrance 7 in the parking lot by Nordstrom — the spot where Big Santa first towered over Paramus shoppers decades ago.
According to TAPinto Paramus, this year's celebration is hosted by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ryan Cabrera and features live performances from All-4-One, TKA, Spice Wannabe and JYT. The mall says the lineup is meant to evoke decades of pop hits, with the evening building toward Big Santa's lighting and a fireworks display synchronized to holiday music. Guests are encouraged to RSVP and to show up in nostalgic or festive holiday attire, and the grounds will include stilt walkers, costume character meet-and-greets, balloon artists, face painters and food trucks.
A Different Spot Than Last Year's Drone Show
The move back toward Nordstrom marks a shift from 2025, when the eighth annual Big Santa celebration took place outdoors near Entrance 3, between AMC Theatres and Fogo de Chão, according to New Jersey Stage. That earlier gathering leaned on technology rather than pyrotechnics, closing with a drone and light show that New Jersey Stage reported was returning for a third consecutive year. Country artist Dylan Schneider headlined that 2025 show, backed by performances from the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra, Broadway Youth Ensemble and Dance Company Debut, with Z-100 personality Danielle Monaro hosting.
Schneider's resume carries some weight in the touring world — New Jersey Stage reported he has racked up more than 428 million career streams and has toured with Florida Georgia Line, Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan and, most recently, Kane Brown. The 2025 lighting and drone show were free to attend, with RSVP encouraged, the outlet noted, and the event clearly drew a crowd: nearly 15,000 people RSVP'd for that year's celebration, per TAPinto Paramus.
A Holiday Fixture With a Decades-Long Backstory
Big Santa's story at the mall stretches back much further than its recent run of annual celebrations. The original figure was a fixture at the shopping center from the 1950s to the 1980s before vanishing for roughly three decades, according to nj.com. That first Santa reportedly stood 51 feet tall during its original decades-long run, nj.com reported in 2018 coverage of the figure's comeback. Big Santa made its nostalgic return to the plaza in 2018, with one community member telling nj.com at the time, “We've waited 30 years for the return of Big Santa.”
The dossier's sourcing differs on just how tall today's Big Santa actually stands: TAPinto Paramus and New Jersey Stage have both described the current figure as 42 feet tall, while nj.com's 2025 coverage put the decoration at 45 feet. Either way, it's a dramatically smaller return than the original 51-foot mascot, though still a towering presence for shoppers pulling into the lot near Nordstrom.
What Mall Leaders Are Saying
Sue Newsom, vice president of shopping center management at Westfield Garden State Plaza, said Big Santa brings families and the community together to begin the holiday season, per TAPinto Paramus. Danielle Monaro, who hosted last year's event as a Z-100 radio personality, said the celebration helps families kick off the holiday season and brings happiness, the outlet reported. Mall leaders have described this year's plans as a celebration inspired by iconic musical hits, built around live performances, Santa's arrival and a fireworks capstone.
Attendees can RSVP ahead of the Nov. 22 event, which runs from 4 to 6 p.m. near Entrance 7 by Nordstrom. Between the fire-truck arrival, the run of throwback performers and the fireworks finale, this year's version leans harder into old-school holiday spectacle than the drone-lit celebration Paramus saw just last November.
