Merry Christmas to you

Rainbow Beach will host its second annual Community Christmas Party this year on Friday December 11. The event begins at 3pm at the ‘Centre Block’ and community hall and the town will be filled with the holiday season spirit.

It will be a great start to the school holidays, with Santa again kicking off festivities for the summer.

The event will include twilight markets, a bar tent, live music performances, including the Ukulele Group from Tin Can Bay and our best local talent.

Well done to the Rainbow Beach Community Centre Committee, who have put in a lot of work with a small group of volunteers to bring another successful Christmas to the town.

The team from Boomerang Bags are madly sewing the gift bags to be given out by Santa.

Rainbow Beach Helicopters are bringing Santa to the event in style; Rainbow Beach Sports Club is organising the bar, Rainbow Beach Wedding Photography will again be taking photos of the children with Santa.

Santa was a hit at last year’s event and we all look forward to welcoming him again just to see the look on the kids faces!

Diana Cruikshank, Rainbow Beach Chamber of Commerce and Tourism secretary, with support from the Gympie Regional Council (GRC) has organised a Light Up Rainbow party on Tuesday December 1.

Diana, with a GRC grant, has purchased a multitude of solar lights and everyone is invited to the community hall from 5pm, to collect a set of lights, find a tree in the main street, and decorate it for the Christmas season!

There will be a free sausage sizzle and a way to come together to watch the street light up.

We spoke to some of our locals to see how they will be spending Christmas this year.

Rainbow Beach Principal, Steve Bennett said: “It is an opportunity to enjoy the wonderful place in which we live, whether it be spending time at the beach, camping, boating, fishing, bushwalking and bike riding. I love being active in the early mornings and late afternoon and getting to read a book in shade during the heat of the day.

“Christmas for me means spending more time with my family, sharing meals with loved ones, watching my children open their presents and seeing the joy in their faces. It is a time that I enjoy trying to make people happy and showing gratitude for the great things in my life.”

Alison Little, owner of Captains on Carlo said “We love Christmas. Family, friends, sun, fun, water play, good food, drinks and time off work and school together. It doesn’t get better than that.”

Mayor Glen Hartwig finds Christmas is time for family and a chance to enjoy an easy going relaxing time. “It is eat, sleep and eat again. There are no traditions for me, but Talitha puts stockings out for the kids and does all the little things that make it really special.

“She takes it to another level and the little things make it such a wonderful day. My tradition will be not to have Christmas without her.”

Greg Wetherell started his own business, Sub-Cooled, this year during Covid lockdown and is looking forward to some time out with family. He and father Jim will be joined by Greg’s sister Lauren, her partner and six children from age three to 21, and said he knew a great family Christmas was coming.