Big Santa poised to make comeback at his old home on Adelaide Central Market

An SA icon has been saved from the tip and now local identities are raising money to put him back where he belongs – Christmas won’t be the same without him.

Big Santa is poised to make a comeback this Christmas at his previous home on the Adelaide Central Market.

Media personality Andrew “Cosi” Costello has made solid progress on his campaign to repair the ageing figure, which almost got sent to landfill.

He will this week hold a charity event to raise money to finish fixing up Santa before he’s returned to Federation Hall on Grote St.

Mr Costello paid $2 to buy Big Santa from Adelaide City Council, which inherited him from his previous owner, David Jones.

The 60-year-old, 8m-high fibreglass, wooden and metal figure ended up with the Adelaide Central Market Authority. It displayed him for several years on Federation Hall until his state of disrepair and the cost of putting him up and bringing him down forced his retirement in 2018.

Big Santa at the Adelaide Central Market. Picture: Supplied

Mr Costello was among three parties expressing interest in taking on Santa to ensure he was not lost to South Australians.

“I purchased Santa to save him from a one-way trip to Wingfield but he needs dollars to restore him,” he said.

“I decided to have a mid-year party to raise that cash.”

Mr Costello said the event at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Friday included a three-course dinner showcasing South Australian produce, wines and beers.

“Plus there will be a surprise visit from Santa and we have some floats from the Christmas Pageant to give it a real feeling of Christmas.”

TV broadcaster Andrew 'Cosi' Costello is holding a fundraising event to put Big Santa back at Adelaide Central Market this Christmas. Picture: Supplied

Santa has been in storage for nearly three years in a large shed at Dry Creek.

Mr Costello said his big black boots already had been repaired by fibreglass company Novafast while Art Studios Australia had repainted his “very grubby exterior”.

“(Santa’s) two very large shoes will be in the room on the night but we need to raise more money to get the rest of him fixed,” he said.

“We also still need somewhere to store him for the remainder of the year though, so we are looking for anyone out there with a big warehouse who can help.”

Mr Costello said he was “so pumped” that South Australians had pulled together to help save Santa. “I remember seeing him in the Mall on the John Martin’s building as a kid when I’d come to the big smoke from Kadina,” he said.

“Christmas would be really sad without him. I want to keep him around for generations of South Australian kids to come.”

Supplied Editorial Fwd: Big Santa