SPECIAL DELIVERY: Santa arrives in Pottstown by dragon boat (With video)

POTTSTOWN — Santa Claus arrived in Pottstown Saturday in what has become an unusual but familiar tradition — on a dragon boat.

Just before 12:30 p.m., the Pottstown Dragon Warrior’s boat, paddled by team members wearing elf hats and reindeer antlers, pushed off from the boat landing in North Coventry and rowed upstream under the Hanover Street bridge and across the river to the boat launch at Riverfront Park in the borough.

Awaiting him were members of a water rescue team and dozens of excited children and parents wielding their phones to record the moment.

Santa’s arrival officially kicks off the holiday shopping season in downtown Pottstown, where several new stores have opened.

After greeting the children in the crowd, he stopped briefly at the Schuylkill River Greenway building and hopped a fire truck to The Alley, at 228 E, High St. where the iconic “Santa House” was set up.

There, children and adults got to spend time not only with Santa but with the Grinch as well.

During the day, shoppers were encouraged to participate in the scavenger hunt for 25 elves hidden around the downtown. The hunt, sponsored by Pottstown Hospital, also allowed shoppers to count their steps and be eligible for a $50 gift card good at 28 locations around the downtown.

While there, shoppers admired the more than 30 plants filled downtown with theme-decorated Christmas Trees with everything from the Barbie tree to the “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” tree to the Frieda Kahlo tree.

The tree lighting featured Christmas Caroling by Pottstown School District, cookies & cocoa, and the Holiday Planter Competition winners announced.

The winners were Most Original: Dana, which just celebrated 100 years in Pottstown. They decorated the planted at the corner of High and Hanover streets with a Tire Snowman Streets, “whose use of mechanical items made for very a clever snowman,” said Peggy Lee-Clark, executive director of PAED.

Best in Show was won by Pottstown Community Arts, twice! They secured the most votes in any category with a tie for both their trees; One at Frida’s Mexican, and the Barbie tribute tree at Iron Gate Biergarten.

The “Most Festive” category was won by Gypsy Dreaming and Counting Stars, which just opened its second shop, an Apothecary called Enchanted Elements. The planter outside their shop features the Clark W. Griswold-inspired Christmas Vacation Tree, a collaborative effort of all the artists represented at the store.”

After the carols and the awards were announced, the crowd of more than 200 all participated in the countdown for the lighting of the tree.