Six Things to Know About New York City's SantaCon 2015

1) This year SantaCon will be kicking off in Brooklyn's McCarren Park at 10 a.m. This is the first time that the event will start outside of Manhattan. Organizers planned on beginning in Bushwick last year, but the community rallied against it so the Santas started in Times Square instead.

2) Immediately after this years kick-off there will be parties at Verboten and The Hall in Williamsburg starting at 11 a.m, the Times reports. The drunken crawl then heads to Manhattan with stops at Delancey and the DL in the Lower East Side. Santas will congregate around midday in the East Village at Solas, Bar 13, and finally 230 Fifth near Madison Square Park. No word on what time the crawl will end, but in previous years, Santas have been spotted out and about on the Sunday after SantaCon.

3) The MTA is banning alcohol on the LIRR and its stations from 11 p.m. on Friday through noon on Sunday, because of SantaCon.  MetroNorth is also banning alcohol on its trains from  5 a.m. on Saturday through noon on Sunday.  The police will be closely monitoring the scene at Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal.

4) SantaCon organizers are working closely with the NYPD to make 2015 SantaCon safer and less obtrusive to New Yorkers. It was actually the NYPD that mapped out this year's route, DNAinfo reports. The NYPD is also reminding participants of a few rules. This is largely due to the fact that SantaCon's organizers want to rebrand its image. Organizer Jim Glaser tells the Times: "We’re in the process of an image change, and we are hoping we can do something that would be much more family friendly."

5) Instead of its usual food-drive, SantaCon is asking participants to donate $10 to SantaCon charities this year including City Harvest, World Hoop Day, and Dance Parade. Santas who donate will receive secret route information before anyone else, access to exclusive parties, and "extra special gifts."

6) While Santa costumes are strongly encouraged by the organizers they are not required. Participants can feel free to dress up as an elf, a dreidel, Jesus, or a polar bear.