The Christmas Factory wrapping up another season

WASILLA — The Christmas Factory owners Megan and Nolan Garvin are nearing the end of their third season providing interactive, holiday themed theater out of the Alaska State Fairgrounds.

Nolan said they’ve sold a lot of tour tickets this year in spite of the coronavirus.

“It’s an opportunity for people to leave the chaos for one hour. We want people to escape reality and embrace the magic… Next year is gonna be a totally new excitement for people,” Nolan said. “Santa put COVID on the naughty list.”

The Christmas Factory is the first of its kind in the Mat-Su Valley, an immersive and interactive theater experience featuring local actors taking groups on Christmas tours. Cheery elves take guests on tours through colonial buildings near the red gate. The elves giggle their way from room to room, cracking impromptu jokes and engaging the room with interactive activities to immerse the children into the experience. Whether it’s helping a silly elf repair Santa’s sleigh or enjoying a cozy cup of hot chocolate with Mrs. Claus, each stop on the tour was designed to spark each child’s imagination.

“We wanted to do something very magical there,” Megan said.

The sets and scenes change every year with the core experiences intact. Instead of starting in the mail room, they started out of the bakery this year. They’re also featuring a new cast of characters who bring their own special flair to the experience.

“We have a lot of jolly people,” Megan said. “They’re all amazing. We probably have our best elf team ever.”

Megan said they changed things up this year by scouting out actors from various local productions instead of simply hiring applicants. She said having experienced actors adds an “extra level of excitement.”

The cast of elves started rehearsing in October as the sets were being installed. Head Elf, Tunde Tedd, a.k.a. “Holly Daze” mentored all the actors on the “art of being an elf” and helped them come up with their own characters. She said they spend a lot of time rehearsing.

“We’re going toward a whole theatrical thing,” Tedd said. “We want it to be a tradition for families… People are hungry for human contact. People are hungry for joy.”

Nolan and Megan designed all the sets, combining Megan’s extensive history with interior design Nolan’s carpentry skills to set cozy and detailed scenes that feel lived in.

Due to COVID-19, tour sizes and staff were both limited this year, along with other social distancing measures. Tedd said they clean every surface between tours. All staff wear face shields, and children sit on a bench six feet in front of Santa for their photo at the end of the tour.

“Whatever we had to do we did it, ‘santa-tizing’ everywhere,” Tedd said.

Megan said the whole process has been stressful but still exciting, noting that the community has been “overwhelmingly supportive.”

“We’ve had lots of ups and downs, but It’s been a very, very good year,” Megan said.

To fully immerse guests into the Christmas Factory experience, Megan spends a lot of time designing the various stations and props to make it feel cozy and give off the very essence of Christmas, as if Santa and his elves were really getting ready for Christmas right in front of their eyes.

Megan said that her goal is to give children hope, toiling over her various crafts and set pieces so she can witness that sparkle in a child’s eye as they enter the world she built.

“There’s something so magical about sharing joy,” Megan said. “I love the wonder of each room... because I created it for them... to see the reaction is very rewarding.”

Megan took a moment to thank all the families who purchased tickets this season.

“We can come back next because of them. It really was a make or break kinda year,” Megan said.

The Christmas Factory offers tours through Dec. 23. To check availability, visit akchristmas.com.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com