Santa coming to Dickinson in oil truck, not sleigh

DICKINSON, N.D. (AP) — Santa Claus is coming to town ... in an oil truck.

When Kris Kringle arrives at Prairie Hills Mall in Dickinson on Saturday, he'll do so not in a sleigh but in an oil field truck accompanied by fire and police vehicles.

And on Dec. 3, Chris Hammond is making a one-day appearance as "Oil Field Santa" to recognize all of the families working in western North Dakota's booming oil patch. He tells The Dickinson Press that he'll wear a bright red traditional oil field worker's fire retardant suit, with work gloves, a hard hat, safety glasses and steel-toed shoes.

Hammond actually works in the oil fields, hauling water.

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