By STU CLAMPITT
news@readthereporter.com
Coca-Cola is helping Santa make his list, check it twice, and give a gift to those in need just by showing up to have your kids’ photos taken while you shop for things you already need.
Sound too good to be true? Nah! It’s just a little Christmas miracle thanks to Coca-Cola Consolidated, the nation’s largest bottler of Coca-Cola products, spanning across 14 states and Washington, D.C.
The Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan, a festive, brightly lit semi-truck and trailer that tours communities to spread holiday cheer, is making four stops in Hamilton County this week, on Nov. 20 and 21. The event includes opportunities for free photos with Santa, festive holiday setups, and more, all with the goal of bringing people together to support local communities and, on one of the local stops, to help Open Doors of Westfield.
The Reporter spoke with Coca-Cola Consolidated Community Relations Manager (and Honorary Elf) Mandi Snyder to get all the details.
“The Holiday Caravan brings joy, obviously, and is decorated for Christmastime with lights and Santa’s picture on the side of the semi-truck,” Snyder said. “Santa travels with the caravan, so at every one of these stops Santa will have a throne and the community will be able to take pictures of Santa. His helpers will be there assisting. He has a whole team, and two of the caravan stops will have an actual polar bear.”
On Thursday, Nov. 20, Santa will be at Kroger, 9799 E. 116 St., Fishers, from noon to 2:30 p.m. and at Market District, 744 E. Tournament Trail, Westfield, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with Coca-Cola Polar Bear and a special donation to Open Doors Westfield.
The Open Doors donation will be in the form of meal kits and gift cards for Open Doors to give to local families who need them.
“We will be shopping for 35 holiday family meal kits,” Snyder said. “It’s about 13 items. It’s your traditional items to make green bean casserole, candied yams, stuffing, vegetables, and all of that fun stuff. We will also include a $25 gift card in each one of those kits for those perishable items that may be needed for the meal, so if they want to go back to Market District at a later date they can get a turkey, a ham, eggs, butter, milk, or whatever they need to complete that holiday meal.”
At that location, while waiting in line to see Santa, there will be a QR code people can scan to donate directly to Open Doors.
“That’s how they can contribute, and then we’re just going to have some volunteers from Open Doors, Coke teammates, and Market District employees shopping for those items,” Snyder said. “They may already have them sectioned out from the store on our arrival and we’re going to be assembling those kits in their deli seated section. We’ll be assembling those into those reusable shopper bags that have Santa drinking a Coke on the front, and we’ll be making the purchase. It’s a total of about $2,100 that will be making a purchase that day during the 6 to 8:30 p.m. caravan. Open Doors will be taking that with them to distribute out into the community out of their food pantry.”
In addition to the Open Doors donation, this stop will also involve a visit from the Coca-Cola Polar Bear.
Photo provided by Coca-Cola Consolidated
“At the one on the 20th in Westfield at that Market District, we’ll have the polar bear activation, and then we’re going to have a hot chocolate bar at the Walmart stop in Carmel on the 21st in the daytime,” Snyder said. “Patrons can come get a picture with Santa and those two stops just have a little enhancement.”
According to Kroger Central Division Corporate Affairs Manager Eric Halverson, Kroger is proud to host Santa at two local stops.
“We love what the caravan brings to every stop at Kroger,” Halverson told The Reporter. “It’s a truckload of holiday traditions with its bright colors, festive lights, and holiday spirit. These visits help provide moments that bring families closer together and memories that may last a lifetime.”
On Friday, Nov. 21, Santa will be at Walmart, 2001 E. 151 St., Carmel, from noon to 2:30 p.m. with a hot chocolate bar, and at Kroger, 7450 E. 116 St., Fishers, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. with Coca-Cola Polar Bear.
“We will be making hot chocolate on site, and we have a whole little hot chocolate set up,” Snyder said. “We’ll be mixing it up, handing out free hot chocolate to anyone that would like one with some nice cups because it does get hot. We’ll be making those on site with Santa marshmallows and many candy canes included.”
According to Snyder, the volunteer inside the Coca-Cola Polar Bear suit used to be a professional mascot with Chuck E. Cheese, so you can expect the bear to dance, run, skip, and jump to help get kids in the holiday spirit.
“Sometimes I say that the polar bear is more famous than Santa when it comes to just being out in the community,” Snyder said. “Everyone wants to take a picture with the polar bear. He’ll be walking throughout the store in the area where we’ll be assembling those kits taking pictures with kids giving out high-fives and just being a buddy with Santa.”
In the event Hamilton County Hometown Weatherman Paul Poteet’s forecast does not support outdoor Santa visits with the Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan truck in the background, have no fear. Snyder assures us there is space set aside to move Santa (and you) inside for photos if needed.
The Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan is a nationwide campaign organized by The Coca-Cola Company. As Indiana’s local bottler, Coca-Cola Consolidated is participating in the holiday caravan stops in the state. Learn more about all the stops happening in Indiana online at thecoca-colacaravan.com/ind2025.
Learn how you can donate directly to Open Doors of Westfield to help families in need at opendoorswestfield.org.
