Santa returns to Ellis Corner

*Editor’s Note: The Journal-Sun would like to thank Amy Barber for the historic information on Ellis Corner for this article.

Santa is returning to Atlanta. Not that he hasn’t been here but the “man in red” hasn’t been seen on the streets asking children what they want for Christmas for some time.

My dad used to dress up as Santa when I was younger and sat outside of Regions Bank if mind serves me right.

On Saturday, Nov. 29 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. children in the community will once again get to see Santa in Atlanta.

The event is for kids and anyone who wants to reminisce about telling Santa what you wanted for Christmas on Ellis Corner.

I was unfamiliar with Ellis Corner. Growing up it was Barfoot’s Jewelry to me.

The cool thing about the past is that there is always a story someone else knows that some of us do not.

In this case….Ellis Corner. The Legacy of Santa at Ellis Corner backstory goes like this.

In the late 1940s, a young John Pierce Ellis loved watching Santa Claus visit First United Methodist Church. One Christmas, he thought he recognized Santa and when he realized it was his own father beneath the red suit, he burst into tears.

Wanting to keep that Christmas magic alive for his son and share it with others, F.P. Ellis began dressing as Santa Claus in the early 1950s. He set up a white rocking chair at the corner of his front yard, a bag of Cracker Jacks, butterscotch, and peppermints by his side. For nearly 40 years until his passing in 1990, Santa Ellis could be found there, listening to the Christmas wishes of children and adults alike.

After his father’s death, John Pierce Ellis carried on the tradition, donning the Santa suit each year until 1993, when health challenges brought the beloved custom to a close.

This year, to honor the Ellis family’s legacy and bring back a cherished piece of hometown nostalgia, Santa Claus will return to Ellis Corner on November 29.

Join us to share your wish list, enjoy old memories and photos, and help us kick off the Magic of Christmas once again.

The Ellis family will be present on this day.