Santa Clara County’s move to the Purple Tier is affecting everything, including Westfield Valley Fair’s holiday plans. In December, Westfield was going to introduce a new shopping market just for kids, but the increased COVID-19 cases in the area have forced a change in plans.
“In an abundance of caution, we have decided not to move forward with the Kids Market at Westfield. We do regret any disappointment this causes, and will provide refunds in full to anyone who has purchased tickets,” said a Westfield spokesperson.
Westfield had already sold about half of its tickets to the Kids Market before making the decision to cancel. While the Kids Market will not be there this season, there will still be some holiday events for children to enjoy.
Santa Claus will take up residence at Westfield Valley Fair on Thursday, Dec. 3. He’ll stay in town until his big flight on Thursday, Dec. 24. Cherry Hill Programs, which manages the visits to Santa says there will be changes to keep things safe, but it will still be magical.
“This year guests will notice a number of changes throughout their in-person visit with Santa all designed to support the health and well-being of guests, staff and Santa,” said a spokesperson for Cherry Hill. “Most importantly, we will offer a contactless experience with Santa…During the visit, children will absolutely be able to have a magical visit with Santa to share smiles and their wish list while maintaining social distance and everyone will be wearing masks.”
Children will not be able to sit on Santa’s lap, but they’ll still have a chance to give him their wish lists. Santa and his staff will all go through daily health screenings and temperature checks. Reservations are encouraged and can be made on Valley Fair’s website.
Westfield continues to offer curbside pickup and virtual appointments to shoppers that don’t want to come into the shopping center.
If you do need to go shopping in person, Valley Fair’s website (https://www.westfield.com/valleyfair) includes updated occupancy information so you can determine just how crowded it is before you leave the house. You can also text Answers on the Spot at (408) 610-1579.
Westfield says it’s doing everything it can to make sure shoppers stay safe and healthy this holiday season.
“Westfield is committed to the health and safety of our customers, employees and the community, and is working with local stakeholders, public health officials and retailers to ensure that relevant guidelines are being followed this holiday season,” said a Westfield spokesperson. “In addition to increased cleanings of common areas and monitoring and enforcing capacity; social distancing; and the wearing of face coverings, Bureau Veritas, the world’s most respected provider in testing, inspection and certification processes, certified Westfield cleaning processes.”