By Ashleigh Howarth
There’ll be plenty of Christmas cheer, festive fun and a special visit from a very famous North Pole resident when the annual Manly Harbour Village Christmas in the Park event returns this December.
Hosted by the Manly Harbour Village Chamber of Commerce, this free community event will be held at Little Bayside Park on December 5, with all the fun kicking off at 3pm.
For Jemanda Hannouf, Precinct Coordinator with the Manly Harbour Village Chamber of Commerce, the event is a special opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy the magic of Christmas.
“This is a day we have been hosting for a number of years, and it’s one of the most popular and much-loved events on the bayside calendar,” she said.
“We set up a stage which will be decorated with Christmas trees, lights and decorations, and over the course of the afternoon we will have a number of local dance groups and performers come on stage to entertain everybody.
“There will also be a petting zoo and face painting for the kids.
“It’s a really classy and fun event – it’s certainly one of my favourite days.”
And when it’s time for Santa to make his grand entrance, he’ll be arriving in true Aussie style.
“Santa will make his way down Cambridge Parade on the back of a Ute before arriving at the park, which everyone loves to see,” Jemanda said.
“He will then jump into his sleigh at the special Santa photo booth, where families can get a free photo with him on their phone to capture a special memory from the event, and he’ll have some lollies to hand out as well.”
As the sun begins to set, the celebrations will continue with a free Christmas movie under the stars.
This builds on the Chamber’s popular free movie nights in the park, which are held on the first Saturday of the month.
There’ll also be plenty to tempt hungry families too with a smorgasbord of food options on offer, from food trucks on-site to grabbing takeaway from the many local cafes and restaurants. Families can also pack their own picnic and settle in for the evening.
Those keen to soak up all the Christmas fun are encouraged to arrive early and claim a prime spot for the afternoon.
For more information and updates, follow Manly Village Harbour on Facebook.
This story was written for The Community Leader Bayside.