The coveted Santa Bear is back at Dayton's Holiday Market opening this week - with a twist.
This year there are two bears, one to be released on Black Friday.
The other honors the iconic TV show Mary Tyler Moore, and it was very popular on day one, this Wednesday.
"I just thought, let's add a second bear this year and do something really fun, and pay tribute to Mary Richards, whose show is here, who I grew up with," Mitch Berthuime, curator of the Dayton's Holiday Market, said.
Although there was a massive line for the first day of sales, several people were able to grab-and-go.
"Two minutes," said one person about the wait in line.
"I just hopped in line a minute ago," said another proud new owner.
And for those who did arrive early, it's worth the wait to add to their collection.
"I started getting these in the early, you know, in the 80s, I was like probably about 8 at Dayton's in downtown Minneapolis," said another fan of the new Santa Bear.
The combination of two very Minnesotan pieces of nostalgia is what drew most to the event.
The bear, with a peacoat and beret just like Mary, goes for $129.
"We used to watch that Saturday evenings, and that was one of the few programs we were allowed to watch TV in the day," said another fan. "We were only allowed to watch it like Saturday evenings, so it brings back good memories."
A portion of the proceeds from the Mary Tyler Moore Santa Bears goes to the Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative, which supports diabetes research.
The Dayton's Holiday Market officially opens Thursday and runs through the holidays.
Dayton's Holiday Market
- Open daily, Thursday, November 12 through late December
- Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
- Monday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Location: 700 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55402
