ALMOST 5000 people jingled all the way to the The Rail on Sunday night, creating a sea of red Santa hats and glittering candlelight as they settled in for the annual Blue Lake Christmas Carols.
Special guest performers Liam Burrows and Louise Adams headlined an array of local talent including Jordanna Jones, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Ben Hood and Tamara Seeley, while Brett Pittard and Sugar Loaf made their carols debut.
Event coordinator Graham Gill said in his last year at the helm he was delighted to see countless smiling faces in the crowd.
“We completed head counts at different stages during the event and we estimate around 4700 people attended,” Mr Gill said.
“The event is always well supported and although there will always be a few complaints, the positive feedback has far outweighed the negative.
“The event is geared around families and kids and there were certainly plenty of smiling faces.”
Complaints about sound quality at the fringes of the venue during last year’s event had prompted changes to the speaker system.
“A vast majority were happier with the sound and said it carried much better to the far end of The Rail this year,” Mr Gill said.
“Unfortunately it can be a wind tunnel so perfecting the speaker system can be difficult, but it’s otherwise a great venue.
“Fantastic weather this year allowed us to set up the big screens so everyone had an uninterrupted view of the stage no matter where they were seated.”
Mr Gill said performances were well received by young and old.
“I thought all the performers were standouts – Louise Adams was brilliant as always and Liam Burrows’ Blue Lake carols debut was excellent,” he said.
“Considering he had only stepped off the plane at quarter to five, his performance was exceptional.”
Mr Burrows, of Australia’s Got Talent fame, said the occasion was the only time he had performed in the city outside the Generations in Jazz festival.
“I have performed at the Generations in Jazz festival for eight years running,” Mr Burrows said.
“This is the only time I’ve been in Mount Gambier for a different event, so it’s pretty exciting.”
Mr Gill intends to hang up his Santa hat for good and said the 2017 event was the perfect send-off following a decade of volunteer involvement.
“This will be my last carols event – I have been involved for eight years in some capacity and have coordinated the last three events,” he said.
“Enormous thanks to our musical director Jeannie Gryn, it will also be her last year, our volunteers and to the outstanding carols band – they were phenomenal.
“We have seen the Blue Lake Carols evolve from humble beginnings and I think it will continue to be bigger and better every year.”
