Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus in Santa Barbara, albeit an “accidental” one, and his name is John Dickson.
A few years back, when Dickson’s business phone began receiving calls from children misdialing 1-800-SANTA-CLAUS, he decided to embrace the opportunity by becoming “The Accidental Santa.” Now every Christmas season, Dickson and his legions of volunteers answer the ringing of “little friends” longing to speak with old St. Nick. During the rest of the year, John is also known as “The Restaurant Guy,” the go-to-person for information about dining news in Santa Barbara, which he publishes both on his popular website, SantaBarbara.com, in print each week as a column in The Santa Barbara Independent.
A former scientist, Dickson is a most congenial and down-to-earth fellow, and living proof that a combination of tenacity and ingenuity can bring you a satisfying career — make that two satisfying careers!