Have you seen Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken's new portrait downtown? Blame the elf.

By Vanessa Carlson Bender, Sioux Falls Argus Leader

There have been sightings around Sioux Falls of a holiday figure dressed in red and white spreading Christmas cheer. And it’s not who you might think.

Happy the Elf is a life-sized flurry of mischief on the loose, unleashing his holiday antics among various spots throughout the city. First Dakota National Bank in downtown Sioux Falls first announced Happy’s arrival Monday via its Facebook page.

The post detailed how others could stay informed of Happy’s “good-natured” pranks occurring each day this week, leading all the way to Christmas Eve, which will be shared on First Dakota National Bank - Sioux Falls Downtown Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) pages, as well as the bank’s website.

Dan Statema, Chief Marketing Officer, said this is the first time First Dakota National Bank has done any sort of “elf hijinks.”

“It's something I've always wanted to do,” Statema said. “We got this great deck at our downtown location, and it just kind of lends itself to the elf standing up there, something visual and something to be fun.”

The deck he is referring to will display a new Happy the Elf scene each day related to the prank portrayed in First Dakota’s video shared on social media. Tuesday’s scene revealed a triumphant Happy standing in front of a large image of Mayor Paul TenHaken that had been drawn on with black marker.

TenHaken took his photo’s “holiday makeover” in stride, saying, “Look’s like someone has been getting a bit creative!”

The mayor also commended Happy’s “artistic talent,” which Happy shared on the front exterior of First Dakota National Bank on 9th Street and Main Avenue downtown.

Happy first made his debut at Dakota News Now, sneaking into Phil Schreck’s weather briefing with a much more balmy 86 degrees and donned a Hawaiin shirt and sunglasses.

Statema said it “took a bit of convincing” with both Dakota News Now and TenHaken, but in the end, both were “good sports” and on board.

"It was a fun idea. It was out of the box. It was something different," Dakota News Now General Sales Manager Michael Cornette said. "It went beyond the normal 30-second ad. It went beyond just the Facebook post. It was just bigger than that. And so it was fun to do."

Statema said that one of the upcoming videos will feature Happy shopping downtown.

“First Dakota wants to find as many ways as possible to support Sioux Falls and downtown,” Statema said. “It's fun to remind people of all the great spots we do have downtown.”

Sioux Falls residents are encouraged to keep their eyes peeled for sightings of Happy running amok, spreading Christmas cheer and a few lighthearted tricks along the way.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Happy the Elf spreads Christmas mischief in downtown Sioux Falls