Get your red hat and jingle bells out because Santa Claus is coming to Briarwood Mall this year right on time — Nov. 13 to be exact.

Although it may seem early to some, Santa always makes his appearance at the mall on the second weekend in November, according to Denise Murray, director of marketing and business development, Briarwood Mall.

“If we did it any sooner, we would be forced to put the holiday decorations up before Halloween was even gone — I fought that as does every other parent in world,’’ she explains.

“We don’t want to be any later, though, because everything has to be in place for Black Friday, and if something is not right we need time to make adjustments.”

The Santa program will be a bit more interactive this year, with visitors able to go to the Briarwood website and upload a photo of Santa in their very own living room. There also will be more products available to purchase online to make the process quicker in the mall.

“I think people will appreciate a faster line,” says Murray. “We are also doing a white glove concept this year where each person that goes through the line will have the same person who greets you, sets you up with Santa and orders your photo.”

Santa at the Briarwood Mall during the 2009 holiday season.

photo courtesy of Briarwood Mall management

The theme will be same this year, using the mall’s extensive animal collection.

“I actually had to write a poem a couple years ago to explain why animals like lions and zebras were up at the North Pole,” laughs Murray. “So we have fun with it.”

For anyone who is wondering why animals found on the savannah are shown in snowy terrain, Murray explains that the idea is that animals from all over the world represent a global peaceful kingdom.

The Santa set will be back outside Macy’s again this year, after a previous attempt to move it to the fountain area outside center court proved too difficult.

“It made for a great presentation that year, but it was a terrible challenge for the photographer, and the area got very congested,” says Murray. “To keep traffic moving better we moved it back to Macy's.”

In addition to Santa, the mall will also hold a tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 27 for its second year in conjunction with The Salvation Army.

“We will light a 24-foot spruce set up outside Sears, and Santa will be there from 6 to 8 p.m.,” explains Murray. “There will be hot chocolate, carolers and a reindeer with sleigh that people are welcome to take photos with. It will be a very enjoyable event.”

The mall also holds the Beyond the Bells program to support The Salvation Army, in which entertainment by harpists and other musicians and singers takes place within the mall to encourage kettle donations.

“We found that although The Salvation Army bells work very well outside, it is unnerving for shoppers and retailers when they are being rung inside,” explains Murray. “We decided to work with professional performers that come out and perform to draw attention to the kettle drive. It’s been very successful, and they have won a few national awards for the program.”

A Santa Breakfast to support the Simon Youth Foundation will also be held at Olga’s Kitchen on Dec. 4 with tickets being sold through the mall’s guest services desk.

Of course, the mall will open early, at 5 a.m., on Black Friday. They will pass out Ghirardelli chocolate to passer-bys and W4 Country will give away 25 Simon Gift Cards that day.

“We’re probably the earliest mall to open in the entire metro region,” says Murray. “What’s great is the flagship stores like Sears, Macy’s and JC Penney open at 4 a.m. that day, and then people can go into the mall after they shop those stores. It definitely works to our advantage.”

Murray says all indicators point to a good holiday season this year.

“I am very encouraged by many recent activities. We had the largest turnout in five years at our Boo Bash this past weekend. The week before, Macy’s held a big fashion event and they turned out to be number one for their entire region, so this Macy’s is the store to beat now. As a whole, there has been a series of very positive upward trending, so we’re just going to prepare the mall and make it warm and comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.”

Santa will be at Briarwood Mall starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 and running through Dec. 24. 

Laura Blodgett is a freelance writer and a frequent contributor to AnnArbor.com.