Santa’s Boulevard on now

SANTA'S BOULEVARD ON NOW: Event volunteers Tom and Helen Telford (left), Community Events Officer Kristine Mibus and Community Events Team Leader Xarnia Kedling with one of the floats.

SANTA’S Boulevard began Thursday for five days of a Christmas spectacular in Mount Gambier’s lakes area.

A replacement for the usual street parade which has not been able to go ahead as normal due to Covid-19 restrictions, Santa’s Boulevard is a Mount Gambier City Council initiative that involves a static display placed along a one kilometre route that people can drive by in their cars to view.

On Haig Drive at the Valley Lake, Santa’s Boulevard includes 14 revamped Christmas floats, lights, decorations and Christmas music in the Valley Lake precinct over five nights between 7pm and 10pm with the last night being Monday night.

Some of the favourite floats on display include Christmas in Toy Town, Pirates ‘R’ Us, Bill the Steam Shovel, Hansel and Gretel, The Christmas Tree, T’was the night before Christmas, Humpty Dumpty and the Christmas Stocking with Santa.

Sponsored by NF McDonnell and Sons, the event is a free family friendly, smoke free, dry event and the event is ticketed this year to enable traffic control and to ensure wait times are reduced.

Tickets are free and are available from the Visitor Information Centre or online at Sticky Tickets.

Participants are encouraged to bring a donation to support the Mayor’s Christmas Appeal.

The Valley Lakes area is still accessible during the day as per normal and is closed at 6pm daily to prepare for the event held between 7pm and 10pm each night.