Hundreds of holiday enthusiasts, fueled by festive spirits, descended upon New York City on Saturday as SantaCon returned to the bustling metropolis.

Dressed in an array of Christmas costumes, including Santa Claus, the Grinch, and various elves, revelers filled the streets of Manhattan starting at 10 a.m.

The merriment began at a secret venue on Saturday morning, with approximately 60 bars and clubs joining in the celebration.

Participants had the chance to embark on a bar-hopping adventure beginning in Midtown and continuing all the way down to Wall Street.

SantaCon, an annual event, is described by its organizers as a ‘charitable, non-political, nonsensical’ gathering aimed at raising funds for the arts while spreading whimsical joy.

Ahead of the festivities, New York City’s transit authority announced an alcohol ban on stations and trains.

Passengers heading into Manhattan from Long Island and New Jersey were banned from having alcohol from 4am Saturday until noon Sunday.

For many revelers, the day starts innocuously, spreading holiday cheer – but ends as a booze–soaked bonanza after partying at nearby bars.

Attendees dressed as Santa Claus, the Grinch, elves and other Christmas characters filled the streets of Manhattan starting around 10am

SantaCon is a yearly convention described by its organizers as a ‘charitable, non–political, nonsensical’ gathering intended to raise funds for art and ‘spread absurdist joy’

The festivities kicked off at Saturday morning at a secret location. Around 60 bars and clubs  New York City bars were participating

Before SantaCon, New York City’s transit authority announced that alcohol was banned on stations and trains

The hundreds hoping to join in on the Christmas fun could purchase a ticket for $17, with proceeds going to charity.

SantaCon is set to end at 8pm, although organizers said the celebrations could get rowdy before then.

The convention’s website simplified the guidelines for attendees, warning them to not ‘f*** with’ kids, cops, bar staff, the city and Santa’s charity mission.

It also urged SantaCon goers to take care of themselves as their alcohol consumption grew throughout the day.

In addition, a ‘crappy, trashy or Grinch–like attitude’ was discouraged at the event.

‘Santa spreads JOY,’ the gathering’s unofficial rules read. ‘Not terror. Not vomit. Not trash.’

Should attendees find themselves in a confrontation with a ‘drunken Santa,’ the organizers said, they should ‘walk away’ and ‘just let it go.’

The MTA said passengers coming into Manhattan from Long Island and New Jersey were banned from having alcohol from 4am Saturday through noon Sunday

Those interested in attending SantaCon could buy a ticket for $17, with all proceeds going towards charity

The convention’s website said attendees were to not ‘f*** with’ kids, cops, bar staff, the city and Santa’s charity mission

A ‘crappy, trashy or Grinch–like attitude’ was also not allowed at the event, the organizers joked

SantaCon began in San Francisco in 1994 and has since spread to around 300 locations around the world

SantaCon began in San Francisco in 1994 and has since spread to around 300 locations. Historically, the convention in New York City has been the biggest.

That said, the crawl’s exact order remained a mystery.

‘Santa could tell you, but then Santa would have to kill you,’ the organizers said. ‘Part of the fun … is never quite knowing where the jolly horde will go next!’

Venues advertised on the event’s website included an Irish pub and eatery, an ‘All–American’ sports bar, a beer pong arcade, a rooftop Mexican bar and a downtown speakeasy.

Hundreds donned their best red–and–white to dress up as Kris Kringle, but others took greater creative freedom.

After all, the event’s organizers said that attendees could sport ‘any type of costume’ as long as they used their ‘creativity to create your holiday interpretation.’

On top of the dozens of Santas, many took to the streets dressed as the Grinch. Others chose to dress up as elves or gingerbread men cookies.

Many wore their best Kris Kringle outfits, but others chose to dress up as elves or gingerbread men cookies

SantaCon organizers said that attendees could sport ‘any type of costume’ as long as they used their ‘creativity to create your holiday interpretation’

The festivities will end in Manhattan around 8pm. Organizers urged attendees to control their drinking before then

The concept of SantaCon began as a performance art protest in Denmark, with the first of the conventions being a political demonstration

A New York Times op–ed from 2013 compared SantaCon to ‘spoiled eggnog’ and asked for the celebration to be banned from the city

However, the event is not enjoyed by every New Yorker.

A scathing New York Times op–ed from 2013 compared the celebration to ‘spoiled eggnog’ and slammed the ‘obnoxious’ event for losing its counter–culture roots.

It said that ‘participating in the Big Apple’s version of SantaCon is about as anti–establishment as a trip to Disney World.’

The op–ed even asked for SantaCon to be banned from the city. 

SantaCon’s history outside the US dates back to Scandinavia in the 1970s.

The concept started as a performance art protest in Denmark, with the first of the conventions being a political demonstration.

Now, the event touts itself as being ‘non–political.’