Undaunted by the popular backlash against the notoriously rowdy annual gathering, Santacon returned to the streets of New York this year, with thousands donning Santa suits on Saturday for the annual booze-and-Christmas-cheer-fueled bar crawl.

In addition to being just a massive party, Santacon raises money for charity and acts as a critique, organizers say, of the commercialization of Christmas.

The event went off this year despite backlash from some in the Big Apple who have become increasingly irritated in recent years by the drunken carousing Santacon tends to inspire, not to mention the fighting and vomiting.

Organizers reportedly worked with police this year in an effort to civilize and tone down the event, and even hired a noted civil rights lawyer to help improve relations with the city’s citizens.

After staging the core Santacon gathering in Times Square, the Santas strolled to bars in the area around midtown Manhattan, for more charity money raising and Christmas commercialization critiquing. Oh and drinking. That too.

Read more at Gothamist

Contact us at letters@time.com.