by Marilyn Hawkes | Photography by Angelina Aragon
Every December weekend and Christmas Day since 2013, John Cressey summits Camelback Mountain dressed as Santa Claus. Mobbed by adoring hikers and accompanied by Mrs. Claus (his real-life friend, Sylvia Depta), the Scottsdale resident hands out candy canes, poses for photos and even assists with wedding proposals – five, to date. A retired labor relations professional who moved to the Valley from Cincinnati in 2010, Cressey got the idea for his annual holiday-themed trek after spying a Christmas tree at the peak of Camelback during an early-morning hike. The following December, Cressey donned a Santa suit, filled a backpack with some of the 6,000 candy canes he picked up at Bashas’ on discount and made his debut as Camelback Santa, creating a Valley tradition that’s garnered scads of media coverage and a tribe of hikers eager to soak up his joyful holiday spirit. “It’s fun to be part of people’s lives in their special moments,” Cressey says. “I just want to make people happy.”
