The Siouxville Grinch brings devious character to life this holiday season
December 19, 2023
SIOUX CITY — "The Grinch hated Christmas. The whole Christmas season."
But sometimes, the Siouxville Grinch enjoys it.
The "Siouxville Grinch," also known as Martin Dalcourt, has been frequenting the tri-state area for the past three years, bringing the famed Dr. Seuss character to life. He can be found visiting local stores and events, teasing children and adults alike.
On Saturday, the Siouxville Grinch visited the Marketplace Hy-Vee store, greeting children and their parents for a morning breakfast. He strolled about with his famous onion, taking pictures and joking around with the kids. At one point, Dalcourt held an attendee's phone.
"4 o'clock, wallow in self-pity. 4:30, stare into the abyss. 5 o'clock, solve world hunger, tell no one. 5:30, jazzercize. 6:30, dinner with me - I can't cancel that again. 7 o'clock, wrestle with my self-loathing... I'm booked," he quoted from the 2000 Jim Carrey film.
While some kids were thrilled to see one of their favorite Christmas characters, others were not.
Dalcourt has always been interested in special effects makeup. He ran a seasonal Halloween store in Canada and could always be found in the makeup department trying out different products and techniques.
"I just found it neat. I could slap something on my face and just look like somebody else and be somebody else for a while," he said.
When deciding what character to portray in the Christmas season, Dalcourt felt the Grinch was a good middle ground.
"Everyone's done Santa, Krampus is too dark, Grinch is right down the middle there, he's a little bad, a little good," he said. "He appeals to kids young and old."
The Grinch allows him to make a difference in children's lives, seeing them laugh and smile at an iconic character.
Dalcourt's version of the Grinch is closely related to Jim Carrey's portrayal. He said he was amazed at the character Carrey created and was especially disappointed when he learned Carrey was retiring.
To prepare for the role, each year Dalcourt watches "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." While the Grinch in the movie is devious and grumpy, Dalcourt said he must balance mischief with kindness.
"Chasing them around, poking them in the nose, that's about the extent that you're going to see," he said.
Being the Grinch is not cheap. His suit was a $1,000 custom-fit creation. Each prosthetic mask costs $100. It takes him about two hours to get ready and requires touch-ups between events.
This is the first year Dalcourt is expanding into corporate events. He is happy to help businesses feature new products, take holiday photos, attend events, participate in art shows and more. He can be booked through his Facebook page "Siouxville Grinch."