Siblings C. Farrell Frugé Jr., Debbie Frugé Meade, Scott Frugé and Teri Frugé Huff with their late father, C. Farrell “Benny” Frugé, and their late mother, Mary Maude Babin Frugé. The family says Mary made the perfect Mrs. Claus, prepping holiday dinners and party spreads for their guests, while Benny played Santa.
In one Baton Rouge neighborhood, a father is remembered for his secret Santa side gig
What does Santa do when he’s not eating cookies and checking that list twice? Those who grew up in the Sherwood Forest area might argue ole St. Nick played the piano in his spare time.
Since the ’70s, the house at 780 Sherwood Forest Blvd. has been a sight to behold during the holidays. The late C. Farrell “Benny” Frugé studded his yard with a slew of homemade decor crafted in his backyard shop. But out of all the quirky lawn ornaments, one piece is most remembered: the lifesize Kris Kringle who sat at the ivories.
Last year, a snap of the festive home was uploaded to a Facebook group about Baton Rouge history. The post flooded with comments.
“We passed this house going to my grandparents’ located on Archery Drive,” Christine Nicole Sedotal wrote. “It was the magic of Christmas for me.”
But the Frugé siblings are the ones with the fondest memories of their father.
“We were all sitting here reading the comments,” Scott Frugé, Benny’s son, says today. “It was emotionally crazy because you don’t realize the impact that something like that has had on people for all these years generationally.”
C. Farrell Frugé Jr. says he could tell any Baton Rougean where he lived, and they’d immediately remember the piano-playing Santa.
A collection of mementos the Frugé family has saved from their dad’s time as Santa, including cassette tape recordings of some of the cute conversations he’d have with kids and their families, handwritten letters of appreciation from parents and scribbled wish lists from children.
The Frugés would go full Griswold before their yearly Thanksgiving meal. They’d carry plywood displays outside and climb the roof to string up lights.
For years, Benny used old pianos, replacing them each time the keys swelled from the outdoor elements. Eventually, he built a faux one for a lighter setup. He ran wires through the house to make his creations come to life. He used an old washing machine to give Santa movements and rigged his pieces to play tunes from a record player. A rotation of Bing Crosby, Brenda Lee and Perry Como echoed through the yard.
One year, days before Christmas, he suited up and switched spots with his dummy. What started as a prank by a jokester dad turned into a wholesome yearly must.
On the same night as the Frugés’ annual holiday bash, Benny would slip away to put on his suit and sneak outside.
He always made sure his grandchildren and other little ones were distracted before he made the switcheroo. Donning his jolly disguise, Benny would turn around and give a wave at the line of passersby. Kiddos would gasp, bursting through car doors to meet him.
Benny would pose for photos and listen to all the wants and wishes. When the crowd died down, he’d change clothes and slink back to the party. He was done playing Santa for the year, but he still had some piano playing left in him. He would sit at the living room piano to lead the crowd in some tunes.
“He would look forward to it months in advance,” Scott says.
Sitting in their family’s living room today, the Frugé siblings remember their father’s annual holiday tradition of dressing as Santa. “My dad was just the happiest person ever,” Huff says. “He just loved it.”
Benny’s annual Santa gig continued for 40-plus years. His daughter Teri Frugé Huff recalls a single mom’s gratitude for photos she couldn’t afford at the mall.
Benny had many talents and roles throughout his 83 years. He was a piano player and tuner, and a music shop owner. But the hat he liked wearing the best just happened to be the red velvet one with the white furry trim.
Huff says Benny never knew just how many people his decorations touched. She wishes he could’ve read the now 400-plus comments on that Facebook post.
After his 2016 death, Benny’s family continued to put up his nearly 50-year-old decorations. As time passed, an eager group of grandchildren joined the setup crew.
After the Frugés lost their mother earlier this year, they decided to deck their childhood home for just one more season—for all the believers.
“I still believe in the spirit of Santa Claus,” Farrell says.
No one ever took over the live Santa role. Benny’s boots were too big to fill. But that decorative Kris Kringle will sit at the piano again this year on that same lawn in front of that same house—before taking a final bow.
This article was originally published in the December 2024 issue of 225 Magazine.
