Perry Village has decided to move its annual community celebration featuring Santa Claus to a different location in 2025. Santa will meet with children and other visitors next year inside Perry Village Hall, instead of outdoors at Lee Lydic Park. His 2025 appearance at Village Hall, located at 3758 Center Road, is slated from 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 14. Perry Village Council agreed to change the location for next year’s Santa event a few weeks after the 2024 program was canceled because of the severe winter storm that battered Northeast Ohio. The storm, which started on Nov. 28 continued for about five days, blanketed Northeast Ohio with a heavy accumulation of lake effect snow. Perry Village had previously scheduled its fourth annual Santa Visits Lee Lydic Park from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1. By the evening of Nov. 29, a Facebook message announced that the event had been called off because of harsh weather conditions. At the Dec. 12 Village Council meeting, Councilman Mike Glover asked his fellow legislators for their opinions about changing the Santa celebration into an indoor event. He suggested having Santa make an appearance in the Village Hall meeting room starting next year. Councilman Rick Walker said he liked the idea. “I think moving it into Village Hall makes sense, because you don’t have to worry about the weather,” he said. For the first three Santa Comes to Perry Village celebrations that began in 2021, Santa would be transported to Lee Lydic Park aboard a Perry Joint Fire District fire truck. During the event, Santa Claus would sit and visit with children. Parents were invited to use their own smartphones or cameras to take pictures. Guests at the event also were treated to cookies and hot chocolate. In addition, Santa Comes to Perry Village featured Christmas music, which was either performed by bands or singers, or offered in the form of recorded tunes. The village Parks and Recreation Committee plays a major role each year in organizing and carrying out the event Glover, who serves as the committee chairman, said members of the panel and other volunteers would arrive at the park early in the morning on the day of the Santa event to begin decorating the park. “The nice thing about (moving the event to Village Hall) is we’re not out there the morning of (the celebration) decorating,” he said. “This hall will be decorated and ready by the time Sunday (Dec. 14, 2025) rolls around.”