A Carlsbad Tradition Worth Knowing: Operation Santa Claus

Operation Santa Claus is not just a holiday event in Carlsbad. For twelve seasons, it has become a tradition rooted in service, generosity, and showing up when it matters.

Every December, while most of us are wrapping gifts or rushing through Target aisles, something special is happening after dark. Fire engines roll slowly through neighborhoods. Kids run to the curb and people step out onto driveways holding donations. And right there on an antique fire truck sits Santa Claus himself, waving like he has nowhere else in the world to be.

This is not a parade you buy tickets for or a production staged for social media. This is Carlsbad Firefighters showing up as neighbors, year after year, collecting toys, school supplies, blankets, books, and backpacks for local kids who need them most.

Operation Santa Claus is spearheaded by Battalion Chief Rosenthal and his wife Stephanie, who have become known among the fire family as the heart behind the operation.

What started over a decade ago as a passion project has grown into a full scale effort involving 12 to 15 fire rigs, roughly 60 volunteers, and countless hours of planning, sorting, loading, and delivering. It is a family effort in every sense of the word.

Over two nights, firefighters and their families travel through Carlsbad communities that know the route and wait for them. Candy canes are handed out. Waves are exchanged. Donations are picked up curbside by runners who somehow manage to be cheerful even after hours on their feet. It is festive, yes, but it is also deeply purposeful.

The gifts collected do not disappear into some far off system. They go right back into the community. This year alone, donations were delivered to the Boys and Girls Club of Carlsbad, Jefferson Elementary School, and the Mission Church in Carlsbad. Fire stations also served as drop off points, welcoming contributions right up until the final delivery.

If you have ever wondered what happens to the items you hand over in the glow of flashing lights, the answer is simple. They end up in the hands of families who need a little extra support during the holidays. Every toy, every blanket, every book makes its way to a child who will feel seen because someone cared enough to show up.

There is something especially powerful about watching firefighters do this work. These are the same people we rely on in emergencies, now choosing to spend their time dressed in Santa hats, driving antique engines, and hauling boxes of donations through neighborhoods.

Heroes being heroes,

answering a different kind of call this time of year.

What makes Operation Santa Claus feel so distinctly Carlsbad is not just the scale or the longevity. It is the consistency. Twelve years in, skipping only the Covid year, this tradition keeps showing up. Not for recognition, but because it matters. Because it brings people together.

If you watch the video coverage from recent years or scroll through the photos shared by the Carlsbad Fire Department and the Carlsbad Firefighter’s Association, you will see it. Smiles that are not staged. Firefighters standing in rooms filled wall to wall with donated gifts. A sense that everyone involved knows they are part of something bigger than themselves.

Operation Santa Claus wrapped up for the year, but its impact will linger long after the last fire engine pulled back into the station. This is one of those traditions that quietly shapes the soul of a town. It deserves to be celebrated and remembered.

Carlsbad is lucky to have it. And even luckier to have the people who keep it going, year after year. A big thank you to Battalion Chief Rosenthal & his wife Stephanie, the fire family volunteers and everyone who donates to the cause.

This tradition may have wrapped for the year, but it is never too early to plan to be part of it. Operation Santa Claus exists because neighbors remember, prepare, and show up. Next December, Carlsbad will get the chance to do it all over again.