Clad in green and yellow from head to toe and bursting with energy from a syrup- and candy-induced sugar rush, the Chattanooga Elf is spreading holiday cheer among the masses, and he’s available for hire.
Robbie Steen, the man behind the elf, is a Chattanooga resident with a lot on his plate. He’s a husband, father of five, a magic trick enthusiast, a woodworker and a math teacher at Chattanooga Christian School. Since 2017, he’s donned the elf costume, based on the one worn by Will Ferrell in the 2003 Christmas comedy film, “Elf,” to perform at public and private events in the Chattanooga area.
In his inaugural outing as the elf, Steen joined a class from Chattanooga Christian as it participated in the 2017 MainX24 parade with a float that had a “Toy Story” and Christmas theme. Not knowing what to dress up as, he borrowed the “Elf” costume from his neighbor, and he managed to become the star of the show at the parade.
“While I was wearing (the elf costume), I just thought, ‘You know what, let me try to do the character; that would be fun just to make people laugh,’ and it just worked,” Steen said in a phone interview. “I loved it. People responded really well to it.”