The year’s event took place on Saturday, and for weeks leading up to the breakfast many were left wondering if it was going to happen in 2025. A regime change led to the word getting out late about the event, which runs simultaneously with the annual Beverly Old Fashioned Christmas traditions.

Chris Weese, a BVFD member who organized this year’s event, said this is the first year the Beverly Fire Department has run “Breakfast with Santa.”

“The Junior Women’s Club had been doing it forever until we took it over this year,” Weese told The Inter-Mountain. “When they decided to disband they contacted us to see if we wanted to do it and we said yes. We are happy that we were able to keep it going, because it’s always a big event for the kids in the county.”

Weese said this year’s turnout was a little different than in years past, due mostly to the BVFD’s late promotion of the event.

A group of children talk with Old Saint Nick during the annual Breakfast with Santa event Saturday at the Beverly Volunteer Fire Department.

“Given that we were a little late getting the word out, we still had a good turnout for this year’s breakfast,” Weese said. “We probably had close to 150 people come to this year’s event. It really wasn’t a big deal if we made any profit off of it or not, because we aren’t doing it for that, we are doing it for the children. I was glad to see as many kids as we had come out to see Santa.”

During the event, children have the opportunity to meet and take photos with Santa Claus. While there, they can also eat a hearty breakfast consisting of pancakes, sausage and a drink.

“Breakfast with Santa is something that is always part of the Beverly Old Fashioned Christmas and we will continue to do it for years to come,” Weese said. “It’s something the community really enjoys and we look forward to keeping it going.”

For more information on the Beverly Fire Department, visit the organization’s Facebook page or call 304-636-5032.