In the soft step‑and‑repeat red of the crowd, Santa at The Fieldhouse shuffled through a tableau of exhausted parents, three‑layered sweatpants, and drooping handbags, a reticent gallery white in contrast to the invites’ flute‑glass gold. The event, hosted by the Fieldhouse’s own ‘Assembly Committee,’ attracts a skewed blend of local influencers who mistook the cartoon reindeer for a runway prize, and a handful of dignitaries who knocked over a stuffed toy, sending it looping over neonatal heaters. The sonic echo of a plastic bell, more potent than the ceremonial music, is a testament to the organizers’ lack of unorthodox percussion. Parallel to this spectacle, the PC Elks present a 2nd Annual Free Luncheon for Seniors 60+ in what could only be described as a muted charity gala—no flutes, only clinking tea cups. The Lego Build Contest Awards Party, another party under a different nickname, plays on the same afternoon, its guests largely “kids” and their guardians, a curiosity of futility. If this were Sundance, the traffic jams would be mute when compared to the flood of canted cameras; the sheer access would outshine the choreography of the bodies. Verdict: Send a check but stay home.
Cable #1382December 2, 2025
Frosted Fields and Fatigue
The Fieldhouse’s Santa hosts a sleepy parade of parents and half‑grown children, a scene as dull as rented polish—yet the real drama lies in the snows of the crowds.