The wood shop where George Land builds picnic tables and informational signs for Jefferson City parks transforms into Santa's Workshop each December.
In the weeks before that, Land swaps out his repairs and replacement projects for crafting sets and toys to coincide with the Candy Cane Hunt's new theme.
His favorite theme has been "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," where he built a "Whoville" and designed Seussical-styled gizmos and gadgets.
More than 700 children from preschools as far away as St. Elizabeth look forward to the Santa's Workshop stop on their Candy Cane tour. The toys Land builds are not "complete" - that is, the children are invited to "work" on the toys in the workshop.
That makes for lots of noise and chaos, but Land said he enjoys it.
The most challenging project he's built is also one of his most recent. Along the new Noren Access riverwalk, Land has created decorative canoes.
What he enjoys most is the variety of work that comes to his shop at the North Jefferson City building.
The first year he was asked to build a toy for the Candy Cane Hunt, it was a Plinko board that lasted one year, Land said.
Now, he builds about a dozen replacement toys each year, most from scrap lumber.
Nearly every park in the city has some item he has built, whether it's a picnic table or the front entrance sign.
One non-park location that features his work is Lincoln University on Chestnut Street near Stadium Boulevard, where he installed a carved blue tiger about eight years ago.
He has worked for the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department for 41 years. The first 30 were full time, and the last 10 have been three-quarter time.
He took off three months in between, but he got bored, Land said.
His first job in 1976 was as the caretaker at Memorial Park. After being transferred to the main shop eight years later, he and his family continued to live in the caretaker's house at the park for 17 more years.
Living at the park with a playground and swimming pool in his backyard was a fun time, he said. While caretaker, he took great pride in making sure the park was well maintained, but he said he also had a friendly rivalry with the other parks' caretakers to see whose park was best.
"Patrons knew they could come to the house and get something done," he said.
Land said he enjoyed the one-on-one relationships he built with park visitors.
Before the sign shop job, which he has held for more than 25 years, Land also worked on the brush hog and trim crews.
"I always liked working with wood," he said. "When I found out they were making wood signs, I put my name out there.
"I love it."