Photo by Erin Nelson.
The Gwaltney family poses for a photo with Santa during the annual Sims Garden Photos with Santa fundraiser Dec. 12, 2021.
The new-found Sims Garden tradition, Photos with Santa, will be returning to the garden this year.
Sims Garden is taking reservations for children and their families to spend 15 minutes with Santa Claus. Children will not only be able to take photos with Santa but also chat, ask questions and receive toys from him, said Amy Milam, manager at Sims Garden.
Refreshments such as hot chocolate and Christmas cookies will also be provided, she said.
Photos with Santa began in 2020 after the garden’s Pumpkin and Mum sale received positive feedback that October.
Prior to the Pumpkin and Mum Sale, there were discussions amongst the Sims Garden team about fundraising efforts to improve and renovate the property, Milam said.
“We started thinking about the next thing and the next thing was Christmas,” Milam said. “It seemed like it was a natural thing to follow on, to do a Christmas event and have Santa photos that were COVID safe, we called it ‘Santa safe.’ They were all outside, just like the Pumpkin and Mum Sale was, and we knew that a lot of Santa photos weren’t going to be happening, like your typical mall or Bass Pro Shop Santa events.”
The garden will host Photos with Santa every Saturday and Sunday leading up to Christmas, with about 180 time slots for families, Milam said.
Photos will be taken between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18, she said.
Sims Garden also has backup days in case of rain on Dec. 19, 20 and 21, Milam said.
For more information, visit cityof
homewood.com/sims-garden.
