Santa Claus making his way around the world in just one evening is a huge accomplishment, but no doubt it's a tad easier when you have an actual aerospace engineer handling the sleigh.
This year's Santa at NorthPark Center fulfills that very qualification!
Joel Lagrone is an aerospace engineer at Lockheed Martin, and has worked on the F-35 joint strike fighter jet for almost all of his 23 years at the company.
Now 59, Langron has had a beard since he was 19, and as the beard grew from to gray and then white, has performed as a vocalist, guitarist and actor playing Jesus Christ, King Triton from The Little Mermaid, and more recently Santa Claus.
NorthPark Center spokeswoman Kristen Gibbins told Dallas News, ""e's the full package, definitely. Does he look the part? Obviously, but he's very eloquent. He has the ability to perform and just the way that he exudes Santa.
"We had a program known across the state, and so we had to find the right person."
Langrone says that his background in aerospace engineering will definitely help him explain Santa to all the kids that visit him.
He said, "Absolutely. I know just enough what keeps it in the air, right? It's all magic. We use the same principles in aerospace. At some point the magic has to happen."
LISTEN on the Audacy App
