Rates

Types of events Ballarat Santa can attend:

  • Private parties for kids
  • Private Parties for adults
  • Business or Corporate events
  • Roaming Santa/Greeter
  • Community Events
  • Charity Events
  • Work breakup parties
  • Church Events
  • Carols By Candlelight/Theatre Shows
  • Markets
  • School Celebrations
  • Preschool Parties
  • Santa Photo Jobs
  • Christmas Promotions or activations
  • Christmas Parades
  • Health Care Facility visits
  • Home visits

What does Ballarat Santa do?

Each Santa visit is unique.  Santa loves to come into your homes or places of business and share Christmas joy with the young and the young at heart.  A visit will often consist of:

  • Listening to people’s Christmas wishes,
  • Posing for pictures with children and adults.
  • Singing Christmas songs together.
  • Reading or telling stories about Christmas.
  • Jokes & fun & dancing.
  • Giving out gifts.
  • Greeting People and spreading Christmas Cheer

When Is Ballarat Santa Avaialble?

 

How much does it cost?

Christmas in July: July 1st to July 31st, 9:00 am to late

    • A 30 minutes or less apearance (only available in Ballarat)
    • Otherwise, $95/hr
    • If your event requires Santa to travel more than one hour from Ballarat, then you will have to pay a travel fee of $50 to your event.

Christmas Nov/Dec Rate: 9:00 am to late to 24th of December:

  • A 30 minutes or less apearance $50 (only available in Ballarat area)
  • Otherwise,  $100/hr
  • If your event requires Santa to travel more than one hour from Ballarat, then you will have to pay a travel fee of $50 to your event.

Christmas Day: 5:00 am to 6:00 pm

  • A 30 minutes or less apearance to 6 pm $150 (only available in Ballarat area) including early Christmas morning.
  • Otherwise, $300/hr
  • If your event requires Santa to travel more than one hour from Ballarat, then you will have to pay a travel fee of $75 to your event.

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🎅 Bring the Magic of Christmas to Your School with a Santa Photo Session Fundraiser!

Looking for a fun and festive way to raise money for your school this Christmas? Host a Santa Photo Session — a simple, affordable, and joy-filled event that brings families together while supporting your school community.

✨ How It Works

Your school provides a well-lit room and a simple Santa set, and helps spread the word to families and take bookings. On the day, Santa arrives in a high-quality costume, ready to greet children, listen to their Christmas wishes, and pose for photos.

Parents take the photos on their own phones or cameras, so they have complete control over every shot — no waiting, no extra costs, and instant memories to share.

🎁 Easy, Affordable & Heartwarming

  • Simple setup: All you need is a bright room and a simple set. It can be just some Christmas trees, a seat for Santa, and a bench seat for the families/kids to sit. You’ll be surprised that just by using what many of you already have at home can create a magical set. We hold the event at your school, that way the kids are coming to a familiar environment and feel safe.

  • Professional Santa performer: Ballarat Santa with years of experience creating magical moments for kids. He also has extensive experience with kids with special needs.

  • Affordable for families: The school can charge $20-30 per booking, offering an accessible, family-friendly Christmas photo experience.

  • Great fundraiser: Your school keeps the net proceeds while I offer my time at a reduced rate ($50/hr) to support your cause so you can raise the most money. (Note: This fee is excluded from the pre-Novemeber booking discount)

  • Festive extras: Organizers purchase premade bags of lollies to give out after each visit for that perfect sweet ending!

🎄 A Relaxed, Magical Experience

Unlike busy shopping centre photo sets, a Santa Photo Session at school is calm and personal.

Kids get time to chat with Santa, tell him their wishes, and enjoy a truly memorable Christmas moment — all while parents capture every smile.

Make this Christmas unforgettable and raise funds for your school at the same time.

Contact us today to book your Santa Photo Session and bring the magic of Christmas right to your community! 🎅✨

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Other Charity Events

Ballarat Santa is willing to attend your Charity event for free to help you raise money for a worthwhile cause. Just contact us with the details and we can arrange how Ballarat Santa would best serve your charity fundraiser.

Longer term Bookings:

Suppose businesses or organizations want to book Ballarat Santa for a longer-term job over Christmas (meaning multiple days at set times like a photo job or a store/mall Santa or part of an ongoing Christmas activation). In that case, the rate is $100/hr to 6 pm.  This is a flat rate for all days (meaning we don’t charge more for weekends). After 6 pm, the rate increases to $125.00 for all days (we don’t charge more for weekends). If there is no free parking available for these events, you will also have to cover parking expenses (receipts will be kept). Break times are also paid as Ballarat Santa usually cannot leave the venue. Just contact Ballarat Santa to arrange it and get a quote for your job. Just remember that all longer term jobs are negotiable, and I’m sure we can find a way to fit in your budget if necessary.

Commercial Photo/Video Rates

Suppose you want to hire Ballarat Santa for a promotional photo and/or video shoot for your business or organization. The rate is $250 per hour for the shoot and a flat $75 travel fee if your shoot is more than one hour’s drive (but less than 3 hours) from Ballarat. The travel fee also covers the costs of parking at the shoot location and any tolls (if applicable). Any interstate travel must be covered by the booker, including accomodation. The higher rate takes into account that your business will own the copyright of the images/videos taken so you can use them for commercial purposes. Owning the copyright of the images/videos also means you do not have to pay Ballarat Santa any residual income from using them.

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Santa Visit Tips:

Here are ten simple steps that will ensure a great Santa Visit:

  1. Seventy-two hours before your scheduled event, you should receive a call or email or text from Ballarat Santa to finalize any last-minute arrangements. This would be a great time for you to review this information and ask any questions you may have. Santa will also ask you questions about your event.
  2. On the day of the event, Ballarat Santa will arrive 15 -30 minutes before your event (depending on if he has to change or come already in his Santa suit). Ballarat Santa will call if he is going to be late.  Please be sure to give Santa a reliable phone number that can be used to reach you at all times. He will call when he arrives.
  3. In Santa’s dressing room, he really needs a full-length mirror and, if it’s a hot day, a fan. Ballarat Santa does not change in public toilets or areas. Also, if you’re having an event at a business/mall, Santa doesn’t use public toilets if he needs to go, as it is tricky in the suit. Allow Santa to use your staff toilets where it is more private.
  4. It can get very hot in a Santa suit in Australia. A directional fan can be a big help, and cold bottles of water are also helpful.
  5. Remember, good lighting and easy access to your home or business are helpful to Santa. If it is raining, Santa may need to pull into your driveway for easy access. Would you believe rain stains velvet?
  6. Please put all pets away. Even the most timid pet can get anxious upon Santa’s visit and might unexpectedly bite Santa. I know it’s hard to believe Fido would bite Santa!
  7. If your event will attract a large number of people, consider reserving a parking spot close to the venue for Santa. Santa often arrives well after your event has begun, and it’s not good if he has to walk several blocks to get there because that’s the closest parking spot available. Also, if this is a corporate event and Santa has to park in a paid parking area, then he expects you to cover those costs.
  8. Please have someone available to meet with Santa so he can receive any last-minute instructions.  Santa always relies on someone to run the event. If this is a roaming Santa event, then you must assign someone to be with Santa at all times while he’s there for child safety.  This is non-negotiable.
  9. During the Santa visits, where the names of the children are known to the organizers, it’s great for someone who knows the children’s names to call them up one by one. This is a great way to remind Santa of each child’s name, so be sure to be loud and clear!
  10. Ballarat Santa does not provide gifts or lollies for events where guests are expected to receive gifts/giveaways. These must be purchased by the event organizers, and Ballarat Santa will give them out during the event.

Thank you for allowing Ballarat Santa to be your Santa this year!

May the Joy of the Christmas Season fill your hearts every day!