Revelers Risk Joining The Naughty List As SantaCon Comes To Town

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- SantaCon came to town Saturday, meaning it's the most wonderful time of the year for those who want to dress up as Saint Nick and get their drink on.

The annual booze-filled bar crawl kicked off on the steps of the Farley Post office across from Penn Station at 10 a.m.

Thousands dressed in Santa outfits hit dozens of clubs and bars, which opened their doors to the rowdy revelers. 

Unlike past years, this year's travelling party had no set route. Organizers said they hoped to avoid repeats of past incidents which have left the Santa soiree with a bit of a bad rap.

"Santa respects the NYPD," one of Kris Kringle's elves said in a message posted to the event's website. "Police will be at every one of our stops. Respect them and do not break laws."

Officials urged participants to be safe and drink responsibly.

The NYPD said a 23-year-old man from Massachusetts was arrested after getting kicked out of a bar for being drunk and then hitting an officer.