SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -During the 2013 holiday
season, more than 920,000 free studio-quality photos were snapped with Santa
Claus at Bass Pro Shops stores across the U.S. and Canada. It's estimated that
more than a million children celebrated a classic Christmas by visiting Bass
Pro Shops to enjoy the free crafts, games and activities at Santa's Wonderland.
The 2013 holiday season marked the sixth year in a row that Bass Pro Shops
hosted Santa's Wonderland, with 62 stores in the U.S. and Canada offering the
free event. Bass Pro Shops kicked off its classic Christmas with a special celebration
on Nov. 9 when Santa arrived at some stores in a Tracker® boat pulled by a
Toyota Tundra truck.
The rest of the Christmas season, families enjoyed Santa's Wonderland, which
featured a variety of animated Christmas characters and activities, all for
free. Christmas village favorites included an old-time model train, remote
control trucks, a laser arcade, and slot car racing. Kids also spent time at
the activity tables where they could write a letter to Santa, color, and do fun
crafts.
Santa's Wonderland has become a holiday tradition for many families.
"My favorite part is that it puts a smile on my daughter's face,"
said Mark of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., after visiting the Santa's Wonderland at the
Bass Pro Shops in Fort Lauderdale. "It really allows her to experience
what Christmas is all about."
Anna, a customer at the store in Orlando, Fla., said "The fact that the
whole experience is for free -the coloring, the games, all of this-all the
expenditures that they do and don't expect anything in return is just
amazing."
Christy, also from Orlando said "Getting the picture for free is amazing-I
don't know of anybody else that's doing that."
Because Santa's Wonderland was so popular, Bass Pro Shops provided a no-wait
Bass Pass to those who wanted to visit Santa. The Bass Pass allowed parents to
hold a place in line so they could shop or enjoy the free activities at Santa's
Wonderland instead of standing in line to see Santa.
For more information, photos, and video related to Bass Pro Shops Classic Christmas
traditions at Santa's Wonderland, visit http://www.basspro.com/santamedia.
Media contact: Tammy Sapp, tsapp@basspro.com,
417-873-5022.
About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops®, which specializes in outdoor fun, operates 83 retail stores
and Tracker Marine Centers across America and Canada that are visited by more
than 116 million people every year. Bass Pro Shops stores, many of which
feature restaurants, offer hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor gear
while their catalogs and website serve shoppers throughout the world. The
company's Tracker Marine Group® (http://www.trackermarine.com),
which has produced the number one selling brand of fishing boats for more than
35 years, manufactures and sells a variety of boats for fishing and cruising.
Family fun is on tap at Bass Pro Shops resort Big Cedar Lodge® (http://www.bigcedar.com), voted number six
by Travel + Leisure Magazine as World's Best Hotels for Families. For more
information, visit http://www.basspro.com.
To request a free catalog, call 1-800-BASS PRO. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bassproshops.
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