Everything you wanted to know: the Budgeteer interviews Santa Claus at Duluth's Miller Hill Mall

Editor’s note: The Budgeteer made special arrangements for freelance reporter Beth Koralia to interview Santa Claus at the Miller Hill Mall this past Wednesday. Koralia says, “As I drove my car on Joshua Avenue on my way to Miller Hill Mall, I rehearsed in my mind all the questions I’ve been dying to ask Santa since I was a child. By the time I crossed Miller Trunk Highway my heart began to beat a little more quickly. I found a parking spot and I walked into the door near Barnes and Noble. I saw Santa waiting especially for me. He was standing near his special chair in the open area near the Old Navy store. I waved at him and he waved back. Santa Claus couldn't have been nicer to take time from his busy schedule to discuss reindeer, elves, and presents. He was every bit as jolly as I had imagined, just as if he had stepped right out of Clement C. Moore's poem.” Beth was surprised that he had what sounded like a thick Minnesotan accent, suggesting the North Pole is closer to Duluth than previously thought. Or that Santa visits Minnesota regularly. Here's a bit of what he said:

By: Beth Koralia, for the Budgeteer