Santa and one of his reindeer left the sleigh at home for this undercover endeavor, and went to check in with local shopkeepers and business owners to see who is ready for the holiday season.

Some lucky Issaquah residents got a peek at Santa as he snuck around town, ducking in and out of stores and pausing for the occasional picture.

He even surprised a few children who weren't expecting to see him until next month (and weren't sure yet whether they've been naughty or nice).

A pail of candy canes won most over, though, and Santa continued his tour of local businesses.

He even stopped by Fisher Meats for dinner - and was relieved to find they don't carry reindeer meat.

So, keep your eyes peeled (especially those of you in Sammamish) and you might catch a glimpse of Santa, too.

• Civil
• Smart
• On-topic
• Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by registering for an account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and drive-by commenters.

As a community site, we ask that the community help by using the "Flag" button on each comment if they feel the comment has violated the rules. You can also use the up and down arrows on each comment to voice your opinion about that particular comment.

Want to tell us something but you don't want it to be public? Talk to us privately.