Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Yes, all of our performers carry full performer’s liability insurance for all our appearances.

This is important because it protects you, your guests, and your venue in the rare event of an accident or property damage during a visit. Children (and adults!) can get excited when meeting Santa, and unexpected things can happen. Liability insurance ensures that if someone is accidentally injured or something is damaged, you are not held responsible, and we can handle any situation professionally.

Having insurance also shows that we take our work seriously and are committed to providing a safe, joyful, and worry-free experience for your family or event.

Even if you do not book with us, we highly recommend confirming that any Santa, Mrs. Claus, or other performer that you hire carries performer’s liability insurance. This is an important safeguard for your event, and any professional entertainer will be happy to provide proof of insurance upon request.

Proof of our insurance is available upon request.

Yes, all of our performers ages 18 and over purchase our own background checks annually and are happy to provide copies upon request.

This is important because you are inviting Santa, Mrs. Claus, and our other characters to interact closely with your children, guests, and clients. A current background check helps ensure you can feel confident and secure about who is coming into your home, school, church, or event space.

Requiring background checks also shows that we take our work seriously and are committed to maintaining a safe, family-friendly environment during every visit. It is one more way we work to give you peace of mind and a joyful, worry-free experience.

Even if you do not book with us, we highly recommend asking any Santa or holiday performer you consider hiring if they carry a current background check and if you may view it. This is a simple step to help protect your family, your guests, and your event.

Unfortunately, there have been cases across the country where unvetted Santas caused harm that could have been prevented with a simple background check. We want to help families avoid that risk, which is why we provide current background checks of our adult performers upon request.

Yes, Santa, Mrs. Claus, and our other performers complete professional Santa and holiday performer training to prepare for your visit.

This training covers child and family interaction, posing for photos, storytelling, improvisation, and safety protocols to ensure we provide a magical, joyful, and organized experience. We also continue our education each year to stay current on best practices in character portrayal and child-friendly performance.

Professional training is important because being Santa or Mrs. Claus is more than wearing a red suit—it’s about creating lasting memories while keeping everyone safe, engaged, and comfortable. Trained performers know how to handle shy or nervous children, manage excited crowds, and adapt to various event types, ensuring your visit runs smoothly from start to finish.

Even if you do not book with us, we recommend asking any holiday performer you hire about their training and experience. A professionally trained Santa or Mrs. Claus can make the difference between a quick photo opportunity and a truly enchanting, memorable visit.

Yes, Claus Enterprises LLC is a licensed and insured business, and all of our Christmas performers operate under this business structure.

Hiring a Christmas performer who carries a business license is important because it shows they take their work seriously and operate with accountability and professionalism. A licensed business follows local and state laws, pays taxes, and carries appropriate insurance, ensuring you are working with a performer who is committed to providing a reliable, safe, and high-quality experience.

We also work with trusted professionals such as CPAs, attorneys, and other advisors to ensure our business stays compliant with local, state, and federal laws. This helps protect you as the client and ensures your event is in responsible, capable hands.

Even if you do not book with us, we recommend verifying that any Santa or holiday performer you hire carries a valid business license and liability insurance. It’s a simple step that helps ensure a safe, magical, and professional experience for your family, event, or organization.

Rates vary by event type, duration, location, and date. Visit the Pricing page for more info.

The booking process starts with our booking page.

By clicking on the book now or check availability link, you will be able to send us a request for a booking and provide your contact information and relevant info. We will confirm availability. Once we have the date, time, and event type solidified, we will send you a booking agreement and a payment link. Once payment is received and the electronic booking agreement is signed, your date will be secured. Most of this is done online, but as needed we will speak by text or phone to make sure we are on the same page.

Prior to your event, we will follow up with a phone call to discuss final details.

Each event is unique, and we aim to provide a custom experience for each one.

Tips are never required but always most appreciated. 

There's no time like the present! We expect to be plenty booked for the holiday season by mid summer, and repeat clients most likely book at least a year in advance. However, we do events year round so don't hesitate to book now to be sure of my availability!

If you want your choice of dates, the earlier you book, the better. We can even book multiple years in advance.

You can, but why would you?

In most cases, it makes sense for Santa to have Mrs. Claus with him, and vice versa, and our rates are structured such that you pay the same amount for one or both of us.

We are both trained performers, and each brings a unique take on the Christmas season.

Note: For some events, such as Christmas Eve Sneak-a-peeks and Catch Santa Red-Handed or for Mrs. Claus' Tuck-ins, it does not make sense for both of us to attend.

Simply put, Santa Craig Cringle and That Filipina Mrs. Claus-Aila Cringle simply adore one another, and they get sad when they are separated during the holiday season. As such, we prefer to perform together, and so we structure our rates to encourage that. We are both trained to perform, and neither one of us is just "arm candy" to the other. We both bring our best performance to every event.

That said, if one of us is unavailable for your event, we will try to let you know at the time of booking or as soon as possible. If an unavoidable conflict arises after booking, we will do our best to reschedule, or bring a suitable substitute.

We do not currently offer virtual visits as we are in transition to Merryvale and just don't have the space for it in our current headquarters. 

We do, however, offer pre-recorded video greetings. You can find more info on our Booking Page.

Yes, a minimum non-refundable retainer of 50% of the event booking fee is required to secure the date and time of the event and is applied toward the total price of the your event. This is unfortunately necessary due to the limited amount of dates we can book, and cancellation of events can create difficulty in getting the date rebooked in time. The booking agreement will state how much the retainer is for the event and is to be paid at the time of booking.

If you wish to pay the entire charge up front for the event, 50% of the charge will be considered the retainer. Please note that the retainer is absolutely non-refundable, except for the case in which Santa and Mrs. Claus must cancel their appearance.

We understand that life happens, and not even a magical beings like ourselves can foresee the future. If for some reason a client needs to change the date and/are time of the scheduled event contact us ASAP. We will check our calendar with the client to see if the event can be moved to a different time or different day. Please understand sometimes the calendar is too full to make the required change. In the event that it can not be moved, or a suitable substitute performer(s) cannot be arranged, then the only option is to cancel the event. However, any retainer paid is non-refundable.

If an event has to be cancelled by us for any reason, the retainer will be refunded in full. If an event is cancelled for any reason through no fault of ours, the retainer is non-refundable.

Please remember that October thru December is our busiest time of year, and that Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are the busiest days of the week during those months.

Please also remember that Santa's vacation home is in Huntsville, Alabama. Especially when the client's event is outside of the Huntsville area, the act of canceling a booking after all the travel arrangements have been made, assistants and crew booked, etc., may present an even enhanced inconvenience for me and Mrs. Claus. Those kinds of things are what puts a client on the naughty list! Ho! Ho! Ho! Please do everything possible to keep events once they are booked.

It is assumed that all events will be indoors, or that inclement weather arrangements have been made per the booking agreement if the event is held outdoors, and therefore cancellations due to inclement weather do not warrant a refund of any retainers paid. However, if inclement weather forces an event to be rescheduled due to hazardous travel conditions, then we will endeavor to rebook at the earliest available date. In practical terms, cancellations or postponements due to rainy weather are not acceptable, but postponements due to weather conditions which result in closed or impassable roads are understandable. Keep in mind, however, that any postponements may not be able to be rescheduled until after Christmas due to the many already scheduled bookings during the highest peak of the holiday season.

Generally speaking, we do not and it is up to the event host to provide an appropriate performance venue consistent to their vision for our portrayal artists.

That said, we do have some items available for rent. We have a selection of backdrops and Santa/Mrs. Claus chairs on our Props page available for a fee. These items will need to be delivered, set up, and picked up at a mutually agreeable time by a member of our team. We add to this a little every year.

The Enchanted Jack Frost, The Enchanted Merry the Sugarplum Fairy, and our Enchanted Northern Realm Elves may be available for booking. Additionally, our friend the Enchanted Dolly Cottontail (the Huntsville Easter Bunny) may also be available for booking.

We are always looking to add additional characters to our roster, and we have network connections with other performers. If you have something in mind, just ask and we may be able to provide!