Santa’s Wonderland returns to Oak Ridge Baptist Church for 12th year

SALISBURY, Md. – A beloved Christmas event is returning to Salisbury for its twelfth year. Santa’s Wonderland at Oak Ridge Baptist Church opens Thursday, Dec. 12, providing a free, family-friendly celebration for all.

The event will come complete with screenings of classic Christmas movies, holiday craft-making, and story time with the Eastern Shore Ballet Theater. Attendees can also enjoy treats like cookies and hot chocolate. There will also be outdoor carriage rides. And, the big guy himself, Santa Claus, and Mrs. Claus will be in attendance.

“It’s still the Shore’s largest free family event. One of the things we try to do with Santa’s Wonderland is bring a little joy to families during the holiday season,” said Executive Pastor of Oak Ridge Baptist Church, Tim Hastings.

Since starting the annual tradition, Hastings said more than 60,000 people have visited the church to get in on the fun.

“Many of them actually find a church home as a result of just attending our event,” Hastings said.

Heather Smith, Santa’s Wonderland Coordinator, said the event has grown each year, and it’s been great to see the progress.

“It takes nearly a hundred people each and every night to pull off Santa’s Wonderland. So, we get super excited to do this and give back… There are so many things [families] want to do during Christmastime. They want to watch movies, make crafts, see Santa and take pictures together. We get to offer them all of those aspects here,” Smith said.

Santa’s Wonderland will be open Thursday, Dec. 12, and Friday, Dec. 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It will also be open on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For more information, click here.