Holidays shoppers got a little extra Christmas cheer this weekend. Buddy the Elf made an appearance at a North Carolina mall where he was still getting the hang of riding those pesky escalators. He made a quick trip to Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh this weekend to spread some Christmas cheer.
Buddy, or Raleigh resident Shannon McLaughlin told local news station WRAL “With all the stress and craziness in the world, I figured It was time to spread some holiday cheer.” While he hoped to catch shoppers by surprise, when he showed up in the costume many people formed a crowd at the escalator predicting what was to come.
McLaughlin was a hit receiving lots of applause and requests for photos. He told WRAL he purchased the costume a few weeks ago after his daughters dared him to. He says he hopes to pick some other scenes to recreate each year. So keep a lookout next year for Buddy the Elf around North Carolina malls and other festive destinations.
He isn’t the only person to attempt this elevator split either. Watch the original scene and some of the best recreations below:
