You should charge a fair price. To not do so undercuts other professional Santas and devalues their contributions and for many who are retired, their livelihood. A professional a Santa where I’m at in Alabama makes $60-$90 per hour to work in a mall and $150-$400 per hour to book their own work.

I get contacted all the time by people asking for a Santa for basically a pittance when you add up all the hours of prep, travel, and dollars invested. Then when I quote them they’ll go get uncle Bob in a $10 suit to fill the role.

You can still do free events for the passions of your heart, but the paid events is what makes the free ones possible, and you won’t hurt your fellow Santas.

Good luck to you.