About Santa David Bates

Santa David Bates is a real-bearded Santa, a member of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas, and 2018 is his fourteenth Christmas season as a Santa.

David is a lifelong Oklahoman and has been a Tulsan since 1969. He is retired from Saint Francis Health System. He is married with two children and five grandchildren. He and his wife are active members of First Baptist Church in Tulsa.

David's wife Sandy, who appears with him as Mrs. Claus, taught Kindergarten at Catoosa Elementary School for 28 years and for many years hosted the weekly Storytime for preschool children at the Catoosa Library.

His 2018 season was his busiest yet, with public appearances at Philbrook, Gilcrease Museum, Guthrie Green, the Gathering Place, and the Mayo Hotel. To book Santa David for your 2019 event, send an elf mail to Santa_Tulsa@yahoo.com

You can learn more about Santa from this 2010 Tulsa World feature story about Philbrook's Santa and the accompanying Q&A, this 2008 Urban Tulsa Weekly profile of Santa David Bates, a 2013 profile in Tulsa People, this 2014 Tulsa World story on grooming bushy beards, a 2015 Tulsa World interview by Scott Cherry, and in this tribute column by his son, Michael Bates.