Get into the Christmas spirit

IT JUST wouldn’t be Christmas in Geelong without our spectacular Floating Christmas Tree and festive stalwart Denis Walter.

Tomorrow night the 25-metre-high tree, which has become the centrepiece of Christmas in Geelong will light up the bay.

And who better to preside over the lighting of our tree than Geelong’s king of Christmas Denis Walter?

The Order of Australia Medallist has been involved in our festive season for more than a quarter century, having hosted and performed in Carols by Bay

since 1997.

This year, Christmas Opening Night – Denis Walter Carols by the Bay kicks off at 6.30pm at Steampacket Gardens with a preshow and kids’ entertainers Team Dream.

The main event starts at 8pm, guided by musical director Michael Cristiano and featuring the musical talents of Motown group Oz Boys and Geelong Accordionist Lucy Riddett.

This special event also includes performances from Denis and his niece Julie and, of course, Santa, who is set to take a break from his busy pre-Christmas schedule to drop in from the North Pole.

Then, one lucky child will get to flick the switch to light up our dazzling Floating Christmas Tree.

The tree features 800 lights, more than 15,000 pixels to create animations and 30 new digital windows to create vibrant displays that will bathe our waterfront in colour.

For those who miss the big night tomorrow, the tree’s shows play each night every 15 minutes between 8.30pm and midnight until Tuesday 7 January.

And the festive spirit will take over across the rest of Geelong too, with projections inspired by 60 local kindergarten children to light up City Hall each night while the tree is in town.

See kindness through the eyes of these children thanks to a heartwarming initiative by the City and not-for-profit organisation Meli.

Projection artist Olaf Meyer, his team from Multimedia Events, and City staff held workshops at Meli kindergartens in Geelong, in which the youngsters decorated paper hearts to illustrate what kindness and hope at Christmas means to them.

These hearts will also be on display at our Geelong Regional Libraries and Geelong Gallery as part of the initiative.

Meli is also working with The Sexual Assault & Family Violence Centre in asking our community to give kindness by donating to the Geelong Giving Tree Appeal.

Geelong residents showed their generosity and Christmas spirit in last year’s appeal, supporting more than 2,445 local residents including 1,422 children doing it tough.

I urge you all to again give kindly – if you can – to local families in need.

After all, showing kindness to those who need it most is what Christmas is all about.

Head to meli.org.au/giving-tree-appeal-2024 to bring some Christmas cheer to families doing it tough.

And while you’re at it, why not check out what’s on across Greater Geelong this Christmas at geelongaustralia.com.au/christmas

With more than 50 Christmas events across our region, there’s something to get everyone in the festive spirit.

Ali Wastie

Chief executive officer, City of Greater Geelong