H O L I D A Y
BECOMING
SANTA
A PITTSBORO GRANDFATHER BRINGS JOY AND GLAD TIDINGS
D
BY ANNA-RHESA VERSOLA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAL STONE CREAGER
epending on his wardrobe, Mack Thorpe is recognized around town as a bearded entrepreneur who makes custom furniture in his Pittsboro woodshop, a scoutmaster for Troop 93 (see more about that role on page 60) or a jolly old elf driving a big red pickup truck. For that latter character, Mack, 68, has pulled on a crimson suit complete with jingle bell boots, a buckled belt, white gloves and a white-trimmed hat for the past 14 years. Once in costume, Mack transforms into a Santa Claus performer who regularly appears at The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, The Rusty Bucket in Apex and at private events, including in-home visits in the area. “The first time I did it, I was in college – a little too young at that point,” Mack laughs, explaining that his best friend’s father owned a shopping center. “He wanted me to play Santa. So, we dyed my hair and beard. I was an awfullooking Santa.”
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CHATHAM MAGAZINE
WINTER 2022-2023
Mack Thorpe says he likes to imagine Santa Claus driving a cool red truck when he’s not in a sleigh.
The Wilmington native is a former high school drafting teacher who became a manufacturing engineer before joining a marketing team for Northern Telecom (which later became Nortel). In 2004, Mack and his wife, Pam Thorpe, opened the aforementioned Rusty Bucket, where they sell country furnishings, like his handmade rustic farm tables, and locally made home decor. Over the years, Mack began to resemble Kriss Kringle so much that becoming a professional Santa was irresistible. “It kind of evolved by default, I guess, because [kids] would come into the store to see Santa, and it would be me,” Mack says. “And so, I bought a suit. … And then I had a suit custom made about five years ago to beef up the quality of the look. And I did a couple of the Santa schools online.” He says there’s a lot to learn about how to embody the spirit of Christmas. “Well, first of all, you want to be respectful,” Mack cautions. “You always ask the child, or the parents, if it is OK for them to sit in my lap. Don’t just assume that they’re going to. Another ‘don’t’ is don’t actually tell a child you will get that toy for them. Tell them you will consider it.” Mack says some kids are prepared with a long list of requests that can include a pet. “And I’ll kind of look at their parents, and they’ll shake their head ‘no’ or ‘yes.’ That helps. Basically, you say, ‘Well, I’ll see what I can do.’” He says kids have sharp eyes and keen hearing. “The thing you have to remember is that Santa is a performer and you want to stay in character,” he says about having side conversations with parents. “Never, never go out of character when you’re in your Santa suit. In the early days, it was difficult.” He recalls one father who brought his toddler daughter to see Santa. “The father leaned over to me and said, ‘Santa,