JEFFERSON CITY, MO. --
On Aisle 6 at the Jefferson City Kmart, holiday shoppers were greeted by Santa Claus himself, getting in a day's work before his big night of work Christmas Eve.
"I will be here again on Wednesday," Santa said. "And then Wednesday I head back to the North Pole to get ready for my big night. The elves will have everything ready and everything should go a-ok.”
Working for KRCG, I had the unique opportunity to ask Santa Claus a few questions during his busy shift at Kmart:
Mallory: Santa, why are you here in Jefferson City during your busiest time of year?
Santa: ""Ho, ho, ho. Every year Santa Claus picks a specific city to visit to make sure that the Christmas spirit is still alive and ensure that the little boys and girls still believe in Santa Claus. And this year I picked Jefferson City and I'm very impressed because the Christmas spirit in Jefferson City is alive and well."
Mallory: Is Kmart a special place to you?
Santa: At the North Pole we make toys and K-Mart sells the toys to help out Santa Claus. And also there's toys that the elves can't make or we run behind, so K-Mart gets to be a helper of Santa Claus.
Mallory: Santa, our weather team says there's the chance for a white Christmas. Is that ok with you?
Santa: I actually prefer it. The reindeer also love the snow, especially Rudolph.
Mallory: How do you eat all those cookies in one night? Do you have to fast or something to make room for them all?
Santa: I have a magical spell put on me that night so I can eat all the cookies and not get full.
Mallory: So what is it that Santa wants for Christmas?
Santa: The adults, the grown-ups, are children at heart too and get just as much of a thrill with Santa Claus as the children. If I can accomplish that, that's all that Santa wants for Christmas.
Mallory: And Santa, finally, what's your favorite part of the Christmas holiday?
Santa: My favorite part of the holiday is visiting with the children and then giving them the gifts they wish for.
Santa will be at the Kmart in Jefferson City Wednesday. Santa and Kmart officials welcome you to come by and say hello to St. Nick before he heads back to the North Pole.
Santa asked to remind everyone to not just leave cookies out for him. He tells me carrots are the perfect snack for Rudolph and the other reindeer during their long night of deliveries.