On a normal day, you can find Haughton resident, Jason Coffel, working in new business development with Porters Industrial, what he refers to as his Clark Kent job. However, from the first of November to Christmas day, he’s booked and busy dressed as the man with the bag – Santa Claus. 

In 2015 Coffel was asked to portray Santa. Though he was hesitant and took some serious convincing, he agreed that he would take on the role but on one condition – he didn’t want to wear a generic suit that came off of a shelf somewhere.

“I wanted to look different,” Coffel explained. 

And different he does. With the help of his seamstress mother-in-law, they crafted a beautifully unique Kris Kringel costume in shades of deep red, green, and gold, topped with a long velvet red coat outlined with fluffy white fur and a hat to match in one week for his first Santa debut. The creation of his suit is truly one of a kind.

“No one has ever had one like it and that is kind of how it was born,” Coffel said. 

During his first appearance, Coffel was jolly Saint Nick for about one week. Little did he know that one week would turn into an era as he caught a lot of attention across social media. He has since then committed to creating magic year after year.

One of Coffel’s favorite parts of portraying Santa is the miracles that he gets to witness when he puts on that “Believe” belt and familiar red velvet hat. It’s a feeling that he describes as remarkable. 

“I get to be Superman for a little while,” Coffel laughed.

Though he might not have super strength like Superman, he does have the ability to make every child feel seen from the very start.

“One of my early gigs was at Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. I met a little boy in a wheelchair…nonverbal and he was there with his speech therapist,” Coffel recalled. “I leaned down and spoke to him and she said, ‘He is not going to talk back. He doesn’t speak,’ I said ‘It’s alright. Santa can understand all children even if they don’t talk. We talk with our eyes,’ After I was done talking to the little boy, I said, ‘Well Santa Claus loves you very much and I’m very, very proud of you but I have to go see other children.’ and as I was walking away I heard his little voice and he said, ‘I love you Santa,’ and his speech therapist was literally on her knees crying.” 

That was the first time in that little boy’s twelve-year-old life that he’d spoken a complete sentence. That Christmas miracle was the first Coffel recalls witnessing and it had him hooked. From that point on, his goal has been to help create memories for families and take a different approach to “Santa.” Currently, he is working on stage shows and various things that branch out to show more of Santa’s character that everyone knows and loves.  

“I like to focus and do things that are different. That isn’t just a, ‘What do you want for Christmas?’ I want there to be a memory,” Coffel said. “I like creating memories for families and so I don’t want to spend just thirty seconds with a family. I want to spend lots of minutes with a family so that they remember it and so I think that’s different too.” 

Focusing on each child, he’s able to spread the joy of Christmas throughout the Bossier Parish area, the place that has been his home since 1995. Although he grew up a military child, moving around all over, his roots are planted here. Everyone in Coffel’s family lives within a two-mile radius. This includes his four grown daughters and their families, and even his own parents as well as. 

When Coffel isn’t dawning his Christmas best, he loves to play guitar but most importantly spend time with his granddaughters. Not many can say their grandpa is Santa! 

“My granddaughters know that I am Santa,” he said. “In fact, we were watching a Christmas parade on television, the Disney Christmas Parade, the other day and they got to the last float and Santa came out and I said, ‘Oh look! There’s Santa Claus,’ and she looked at me and said, ‘That is not Santa Claus. You are Santa Claus.’” 

Throughout his ten years, he’s had the opportunity to make appearances at churches, multiple holiday events, and even film commercials for local businesses. Coffel says this time of year he is booked, busy, and blessed.

“Santa started here. I’ve been doing this now for ten years and it’s huge,” Coffel said. “Bossier residents have definitely embraced me as Santa Claus. It’s fun.”

Coffel continues to transform every Christmas season so we can experience the Christmas magic a little closer to home.