DOWAGIAC — Richard Schinkel’s home may be located in Berrien Springs, but if you ask him where he lives, he will tell you “the North Pole, of course.”

Despite the roughly 3,000-mile commute from his elf-laden land, Schinkel is no stranger to Dowagiac, riding in each year on a sleigh pulled by reindeer to ring in the holiday season. This weekend, he will be once again donning his red suit and returning to Dowagiac, this time to share his life story.

Schinkel, who spent more than 20 years playing Santa in Dowagiac, recently authored a book, titled “My Life as Santa,” which details his experiences and adventures during his decades as the man in the red suit. He will be hosting a book signing from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Olympia Books, 208 S. Front St., Dowagiac. Light refreshments will be provided, and Schinkel’s book will be available for purchase.

Schinkel, 76, has spent nearly 50 years playing Santa or Santa’s brother at various events and communities throughout southwest Michigan — the farthest away he has acted as Santa has been Kalamazoo, Michigan. His new book features a mix of stories from all of the places he has served Jolly Ol’ St. Nick.

“[‘My Life as Santa’] encompasses a bunch, and there a couple of names in there from Dowagiac that people will recognize,” he said.

Becoming a professional Santa was never something Schinkel planned, he said. Instead, he said he got started because his looks fit the part and because the Sarett Nature Center in Benton Harbor, where he used to work, needed someone to play the role. Over time, he found he enjoyed bringing people happiness around the holiday season, which is what kept him doing Santa appearances for decades, he said.

“It just sort of slowly progressed, like most things,” he said.

“My Life as Santa” is Schinkel’s second book. Previously, he had co-authored “Nature Nuggets” with Chuck Nelson, who spent more than 40 years at the helm of the Sarett Nature Center. In “Nature Nuggets,” Nelson and Schinkel detail their experiences working at the center.

Schinkel said it was the experience of co-authoring “Nature Nuggets” that made him want to put his experiences as Santa to paper in “My Life as Santa.”

When people who attend Saturday’s book signing read his newest publication, Schinkel hopes they will be reminded of the magic they felt when they were young — when they still believed that a portly man in a red suit squeezed down their chimney for the simple act of bringing children joy.

“I think people will remember the times they had with Santa when they were young,” he said. “People want to believe.”