ROCKLAND — The Festival of Lights weekend wound down Sunday morning with a breakfast with Santa Claus at the Chowder House restaurant in the Trade Winds Motel at Park and Main Streets in Rockland. Families dined on sausage and pancakes as Santa made the rounds greeting each. Santa took time out of his busy morning to talk.   

PBP: Santa, it’s a very busy time for you, yet you find the time to come and talk to all the children in Rockland.

Santa: “It’s always very important to get out and speak to as many children as possible. You can’t see them all sometimes, but you but to try to talk to as many as possible. You encourage them to stay good throughout the year and not just at Christmas. You also try to get an idea of trends, so the elves will know how to move forward in future years.

PBP: And just how does that naughty and nice list add up for Rockland? 

Santa: “Well, there are some people on the naughty list and some of them have been on there for quite some time. Overall, I see the children of Rockland are very well behaved throughout the year. There are those that have a little setback at some point in the year, but they turn right around at this time of year.”

PBP: Santa, how do you find Rockland as a city?

Santa: “It’s probably one of the smaller cities that I visit. There’s a long history here with Santa and the fishing community. I really enjoy coming here and visiting this area. It really is a beautiful spot.

PBP: You’re used to riding in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. What’s it like riding in a boat to get here?

Santa: “I usually ride with the Coast Guard. They bring me in on my last leg of the trip from Alaska. I really appreciate their help and wish them and all of the military to be safe.”

PBP:  Anything you’d like to say in general to the people of the Midcoast?

Santa: “I know children and some adults ask Santa for gifts that are pretty big. Some people have very long lists. Santa does his best to fill as many of those wishes as possible. Unfortunately, we can’t always get everything we want, but that shouldn't stop you from having a very merry Christmas and wish good will toward all at this time of year.”

Kathleen LaBree and her husband Kevin own the Chowder House and this is the second year they’ve hosted breakfast with Santa. The Chowder House does not normally serve breakfast, but make an exception for Santa Claus.

“It’s absolutely a real feel-good to be part of the community,” she said. “Last year we had a smaller tree and this year as you can see we tried to create something a little more special.”

Volunteers from Rockland Main Street came in to help make the task easy and fun.

“We’re going to serve a couple of hundred people this morning, so it will be lovely,” she said. “We’ve had a wonderful Festival of Lights weekend. The weather held and it’s a great start to the Christmas season and a great way to say Merry Christmas to everyone.”

Gordon Page, executive director of Rockland Main Street, the organization that puts on the Festival of Lights weekend, came out of the kitchen, where he had been busy cooking sausage.

“It has been a long week, but it’s been very much worth it,” he said. “It’s rewarding to do this for the community. We culminate the weekend events with this pancake breakfast with Santa Claus. The kids smile as they walk by Santa with plates full of pancakes, and they try to figure out how are they going to eat fast so they can get over there and talk to him.”

Page said the organization does not make much money off the event.

“It’s $2 a child, but it’s not about the money, it’s about the kids and that’s what makes it a super event,” he said. “There’s a family of seven sitting over there and everybody ate breakfast for $24. You can’t get a deal like that anywhere for a full breakfast in a nice restaurant. Kids and families are what make up the community and that’s what Rockland Main Street is all about.