From the inside of the tree, now installed in Garema Place. Photos: City Renewal Auhtority
Christmas will return to the city centre this year with the City Renewal Authority staging a free program of celebrations in Garema Place, around a Christmas tree with a difference.
The 16-metre high Kaleidoscopic Christmas Tree with a 7-metre radius will form the centrepiece of a log cabin area where the free activities will be held, kicking off on Friday, 6 December.
The CRA says that just as the images inside a kaleidoscope fall into place, creating surprising and different visuals formed randomly by motion and gravity, so too does the experience inside the new tree, where visitors will be transported into a magical Christmas world of wonder and light.
City Renewal Authority chief executive Malcolm Snow said the new tree would be quite different from a traditional winter Christmas tree, but will still make for an unmistakable Christmas experience.
“Rather than the standard tree, which only truly shines when the lights come on late in the summer evening, the kaleidoscopic Christmas tree utilises one of the most striking features of an Australian Christmas – summer – to provide a truly contemporary experience that looks magical during both the day and at night,” Mr Snow said.
The 16m tall tree in Garema Place.
“As the sun shines through the tree, it creates a beautiful kaleidoscope of light and colour in the surrounding public spaces, making the most of the longer daylight hours of an Australian summer.
“At night, beautiful lights will transform the tree, ensuring that it provides an immersive and joyful Christmas experience 24 hours a day.”
The log cabin village in Garema Place will host an initial range of free family activities including cookie decorating, bauble making, free Santa slushies and the chance to take a selfie with the roving Santa, while the onsite ‘Santa’s Shaped Christmas Trees’ pop-up shop will be selling traditional Christmas trees for pick up or home delivery.
There is also a program of ongoing events and activities around the city centre, including Santa letter writing and bauble making, lantern making, theatrical performances, a public art treasure hunt, Christmas choir performances, musical Christmas mashups, and a visit from Santa like you’ve never seen before.
“The Christmas spirit is alive and well in the city centre this festive season. I encourage the whole community to come into Civic and enjoy a wide variety of fun-filled Christmas entertainment for all ages, right in the heart of Canberra,” Mr Snow said.
The initial log cabin activities, including the launch of the Christmas tree will occur from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Friday, 6 December 2019. Ongoing Christmas activities in the city centre will run from 7 to 21 December 2019.
For more information on the Christmas program, visit www.merryandbrightcbr.com.au.
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