I know I'm not alone, but the holiday season always makes me nostalgic.

While driving on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie the other day, I drove past the Shops at South Hills and my mind immediately went to the old South Hills Mall back in the 90s. I was a frequent flyer at Media Play, KMart, Bobs, and of course Discovery Zone.

But I can also vividly remember meeting Santa Claus at Center Court in the South Hills Mall. From the Christmas garland hanging from the rafters to the smell of Burger King burgers being cooked nearby, the free popcorn popping at KMart, and walking away from Santa Claus with one of those small candy canes, I remember it all.

Am I the only one with this distinct memory?

I did a little searching and came across the photo above and others on a South Hills Mall fan page on Facebook. This is EXACTLY what I remember as a kid. Big crowds with families enjoying the holidays at one of the most popular malls at the time in the Hudson Valley. I'm sure there were arts and crafts involved and a DJ playing holiday classics for kids and their families to enjoy (however, it looks like they're getting down to the Macarena in the picture above so I'll guess this was from 1995-ish).

Service Merchandise, Just-a-Buck Dollar Store, and Burlington Coat Factory were 3 big stops on my family's Christmas shopping stops. The South Hills Mall was a 90s kids' dream.

Sadly, the South Hills Mall closed in the early 2000s and was transformed into the Shoppes at South Hills with great additions to the Hudson Valley like Orange Theory Fitness, The Christmas Tree Shoppe, and Hobby Lobby.

Do you have a South Hills Mall holiday memory? Did you get to see Santa? Did you go to DZ or the movies afterward? Or were you more of a Poughkeepsie Galleria person? We would love to hear your stories!

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