A 15 metre charity Christmas tree, Australia’s largest open-air ice-skating rink, toboggan slides, Australia’s only double-decker carousel, snowfall galore, live caroling, roving elves and fairy-floss encased ice creams – are just some of the highlights that will abound when Australia’s biggest Christmas festival – the Sydney Santa Spectacular – returns to Rosehilll Gardens this December 9th to 27th.
Bringing a classic winter wonderland to Sydney’s scorching silly season, the 19-day extravaganza will offer up a seasonal smorgasbord of North Pole experiences for Christmas-lovers of all ages – with a flat-priced golden ticket ($41) granting each attendee unlimited access to all rides, activities, entertainment and free parking over a three-hour session.
“We wanted to bring a Christmas festival to Sydney on the scale as some of the big international Christmas experiences. Creating a white Christmas at home in the hot Aussie summer has its challenges, but it’s great fun. And we’ve added some uniquely Australian touches as well,” said Jade Evans, Co-founder/owner of Sydney Santa Spectacular, who organises the event alongside her husband Josh, four kids and a team of family and friends.
“We’re producing a North Pole Christmas for Sydney on a scale that hasn’t really been done before – and we’re doing it in a way that is affordable to families – especially those that might have lots of kids,” Jade continued.
“We have a big family ourselves, and we know how expensive these types of events can be. With this in mind, we’ve intentionally kept the price point low and made sure that pretty much everything is included in the ticket price. Parking is included, and you can also BYO food and drinks from home so it really is great value,” Jade said.
Now in its second year, the Sydney Santa Spectacular has doubled in size to become Australia’s biggest Christmas festival, boasting Australia’s largest open-air ice-skating rink, as well as the nation’s only double-decker carousel and largest Christmas-themed inflatable world.
With kids and families at the heart of the event, the festival will feature an array of rides and fun-filled experiences, all designed to bring the magic of Christmas alive – from Santa’s Enchanted Forest with snowfall, to a Santa Express Train, a North Pole passport, toboggan snow slide and reindeer ride-on training stable.
And for little ones after a slightly more cerebral festive experience, there’ll be a huge selection of Christmas activities to excite, delight and engage young minds – from cookie-decorating workshops, fairy reading times and face-painting to Santa meet-and-greets, live stage entertainment and sing-a-long Christmas carols.
Fear not – adults and parents can join in the celebrations too, with a new Naughty Elves Wine and Cheese Bar providing the perfect pre-skate watering hole for some Dutch courage twirls on the ice.
For those with a sweet tooth, the festival will also play host to Australia’s only fairy-floss encased ice cream – providing the perfect tasty treat to round out a night of fabulous festive fare.
Decadence aside, the Sydney Santa Spectacular will aim to give back to the community throughout the month of December, with a towering 15 metre Christmas tree acting as the centerpiece for charitable gift-fgving throughout the festival. Event organisers are inviting attendees to bring a gift to put under the tree, with all gifts going to Camp Quality and the Westmead and Randwick Children’s Hospitals.
“Last year we took more than 1,000 presents to sick kids. It was such an awesome experience and this year we’re hoping to deliver them even more,” said Jade.
In 2015, the Sydney Santa Spectacular attracted more than 40,000 festival-goers of all ages, with families flocking from across the country to revel in an Australian North Pole Christmas experience like no other.
Tickets for the Sydney Santa Spectacular are on sale now at: www.sydneysantaspectacular.com
