Highton Carols in the Park makes a welcome return

THE local community is celebrating the return of Highton Carols in the Park, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the much-loved event to cease in 2020.

Up to 2,000 people are expected to attend the event, slated for December 15, at the Highton Reserve in Roslyn Road, where they’ll enjoy a festive evening filled with musical performances, community singing and inclusive activities.

Four of the local Rotary clubs – Highton, Kardinia, Bayside Geelong and Grovedale Waurn Ponds – have teamed up with St John’s Anglican Church to bring carols back to the reserve, with each club contributing $500 towards the event’s operating costs.

These funds will allow the church to hire toilets and a sound system for the occasion, as well as cover artist, insurance and rubbish collection fees.

St John’s Anglican Church Reverend Will Orpwood said the annual event, which is inspired by the Sidney Myer Music Bowl’s renowned Carols by Candlelight, was first established in 2009.

“The original idea was for a community celebration at the end of the year for Christmas, and obviously our church has deeply vested interest in that.”

He said the community-focused nature of the event, along with its accessibility, had ensured the Highton Carols in the Park remained a key event in the region’s Christmas festivities each year.

“Everybody wants Christmas to be sweet and this will help them make it festive and make the most of the season.”

This year’s free concert will feature performances by the Bellaire Primary School choir, The Mik Maks – affectionately known as the “Geelong Wiggles” – and former finalist on The Voice, Tanya George.

There will also be local food vendors and a best dressed competition, along with several other activities for the community to enjoy.

Kardinia Rotary Club’s Geoff Caddy said the club was pleased to contribute to the family celebration.

“We like to involve ourselves in local community, grassroots projects,” he said.

“It’s a way for us to help the community and a way for us to also share our message about Rotary.”

Highton Carols in the Park will take place on Sunday, December 15 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at Highton Reserve in Roslyn Road.