Santa flies in to College Park museum

Jordan Williams, 6, of University Park waited with his mom, Sarah, for his turn in the long line. She said it took them two hours to get to Santa because they kept getting in and out of line. Jordan came prepared with his wish list to give to Santa, which included a Lego Star Wars set with action figures and spaceships, a Yu-Gi-Oh! sweatshirt, Pokemon cards and a remote control car.

When he talked to Santa, he said, he told him only about the Lego Star Wars and didn’t give him the whole list. Santa told him his elves were working on his request.

‘‘I feel happy I got to see Santa,” Jordan said. ‘‘My favorite part of Christmas is getting the presents.”

Nathan Sawtelle, 8, of College Park hoped to ask Santa for a Power Wheels two-seater Jeep that he could ride around in with his friend Tyler Morrison, 8, of College Park. They planned to ride it on the sidewalk in their neighborhood. Nathan didn’t really ponder too much how Santa would get inside his house to give him the Jeep.

‘‘I think he gets in the house by magic and the spirit of Christmas,” he said. Asked how that works, he said, ‘‘I don’t know exactly. I leave him some milk and cookies and he just walks through the door or he comes down the chimney. He can just go down the chimney without making any noise. Rudolph has a nose to guide Santa’s sleigh to the houses. The sleigh lands on my roof, although I’ve never heard him.”

Tyler said he, too, thinks Santa lands on his roof, even though he hasn’t heard him.

‘‘Last year, I wrote him a note asking him to leave something for me so I would know he was real. He left a white piece of cloth from his suit,” he said. ‘‘Now, I think he’s real.”

Abigail Reinhard, 3, of University Park was so excited to see Santa that she kept running back to see him.

‘‘He gave me a candy cane and it has sugar on it,” she said, jumping around in excitement. ‘‘He gets in the house through the doorway,” she explained. ‘‘Santa parks in my garage.” She would like a bicycle for Christmas, and she plans to leave Santa a candy cane, not milk and cookies.

Gus Martone, 2, of College Park, wants a goldfish for Christmas, said his mom, Keira Martone.

‘‘This is the second year he wants a goldfish,” she said. Asked if he had been naughty or nice this year, he said confidently, ‘‘Nice.”

While many people who came to see Santa live nearby, several families came from farther away. Bridget Fitzgerald, and her son, Dillon Fitzgerald, 6, drove from Dunkirk in southern Maryland to see Santa.

Dillon said he wants a four-wheeler scooter.

‘‘It’s like a two-wheeler skateboard with a stick. I just want to make sure he gets it. I came here today because I wanted to see Santa Claus fly in, and I’m going to talk to him,” he said.

He said he sent a letter to the North Pole asking for the scooter. ‘‘If I talk to him today, I will mention it. If it’s under the tree, I’ll be really happy.”

Maria Bordini, 3, of Germantown hopes Santa will bring her a dollhouse and a stroller. She said he comes into her house when she’s asleep because he’s shy, and she thinks he has a key to open the door.

Caden Paavola, 5, of College Park said he thinks his mom leaves a key for Santa to get inside his house or he comes in by going down the chimney. Or maybe his mom leaves the door unlocked. However Santa gets in, Caden hopes he brings him a racetrack like the one in the movie ‘‘Cars.”

It wasn’t just children who enjoyed the event—adults did as well.

‘‘It was a nice event,” Sarah Williams said. ‘‘I think Santa flying in on the helicopter was cool.” She had heard about the event for years, but decided to attend this year with her son.

Nicole Wilfong, assistant program curator for the museum, said the program went well, although the attendance was lower than last year by about 150 people.

E-mail Deborah Stoudt at dstoudt@gazette.net.