On Thanksgiving night, vandals damaged the Santa’s Workshop display that has been a part of the downtown Christmas decorations in Brundidge for nearly half a century.

Monday morning, city workers were busy repairing the damage to the classic display at the Tupper Lightfoot Memorial Library on South Main Street.

Jerry Reynolds, supervisor of the city’s electric department, said the damage to Santa’s Workshop was extensive.

“The workshop wall was knocked down and it took some pushing to do that because it was put up good,” he said. “Some of the wood frame was broken and the stakes that held the wall in the ground were broken. The tin roof was bent and had to be replaced.”

The most damage was done to Santa’s elves that are original to the display.

“All of the elves were damaged and one was totally destroyed,” Reynolds said. “They weren’t just pushed over. They were kicked and broken.”

Reynolds said vandals also pulled the ribbon that was wrapped around some of the light poles from which the city’s antique string lights are hung.

“They broke some of the blue light bulbs on the down poles and unscrewed and took some of the other bulbs. They will all have to be replaced,” Reynolds said. “It probably took about five minutes to do all that. They didn’t just run and kick and keep going.”

Reynolds said vandals damaged the city’s Christmas displays last year.

“They broke the antlers off the reindeer and took the little baby doll out of the manager at Galloway Park,” he said. “So, this was not the first time. We need to find out who’s doing this and they need to be held responsible.”

Britt Thomas, Brundidge city manager, said the vandalism was an act by mean-spirited people.

“There was not much good in their hearts,” Thomas said. “Santa and his elves are all about kids at Christmastime. These decorations are part of the Christmas tradition in Brundidge and have been for several generations.”

Thomas said that, if found, those responsible for the vandalism will “absolutely be prosecuted.”

Anyone with any information about the vandalism of the city’s Christmas display are asked to contact the Brundidge Police Department at 735-3333.