Key facts
- Former organizer Stefan Pildes faces charges of misappropriating over $1.35 million in SantaCon revenue.
- The event will be organized by North Pole NYC, led by Theresa "Shiny" Galeani.
- SantaCon NYC is scheduled for December 12.
- Pildes is no longer involved with the event as a condition of his bond.
- North Pole NYC intends to donate event profits to charity.
SantaCon NYC is set to return on December 12 under new management, North Pole NYC, following fraud charges against its former organizer, Stefan Pildes. Pildes, who led the event through Participatory Safety from 2014 to 2025, is accused of embezzling over $1.35 million in charity funds between 2019 and 2024 for personal use. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.The new organizing entity, North Pole NYC, was incorporated in September by Pildes' longtime co-organizer Theresa "Shiny" Galeani. Galeani stated that the organization aims to donate to local charities and is working towards nonprofit status. An attorney for North Pole NYC confirmed that profits, after a small reserve for organizational costs, will be donated to charity, with an expectation of transparency this year.