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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019 WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
HO HO HO!
Behind the scenes of santa at Flea Land
Kendall Allenspach, 5, sits in Santa’s lap and excitedly shouts, “I want a castle!” at Flea Land market on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019. Allenspach was Santa’s first guest of the day at the Flea Land market.
BY BRENNA PEPKE HERALD.PHOTO@WKU.EDU
Each Sunday in December, Bobby Hite, 63, arrives at the Bowling Green
Flea Land market dressed in a fuzzy red coat and pants with a large brown belt to tie the suit together. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Hite happily awaits young patrons of the flea market to tell him their Christmas wish lists. Hite is part of Flea Land’s hosting of Santa on
Sundays for the entire month of December. The meet and greets offer free photos and encourage voluntary donations toward the Bowling Green Humane Society and St. Vincent DePaul.
Bobby Hite, 63, arrives early Sunday morning to the Flea Land cafeteria and waits for shoppers to stop by and say hello to Santa Claus on Dec. 1, 2019. Each Sunday in December, Flea Land will host free photos with Santa with voluntary donations to the Humane Society and St. Vincent DePaul.
Leon Macisaac, 6, explains to Santa that he was not sure if he had been good this year but still “wants a D.S.” while his mother takes photos in the Flea Land cafeteria on Dec. 1, 2019.
Bobby Hite puts on his coat as he gets ready for visitors at the Flea Land market on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019. Hite has become Santa every holiday season for the past 15 years. Each Sunday during December this year he has dedicated four hours of his time at the Flea Land cafeteria offering free photos with Santa. “I didn’t mean to look this way,” Hite said. “ I just turned out looking like Santa Claus.”
Bobby Hite places the finishing touches on his Santa Claus costume before another group of children arrive for photos at the Flea Land market on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019. After a group of young girls happily tell Santa their Christmas lists, Hite said, “All year I’m a nobody, by this time of year I’m a rockstar.”