CBD readies for bumper Christmas
Published on 13 November 2023
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the City of Launceston, with Santa's elves* hard at work this week installing hundreds of festive decorations, as well as Launceston's famous 11m-tall Christmas tree, across the CBD.
The City of Launceston and Launceston Central have been working together since January to make this year's Christmas and New Year period the most festive the city's ever seen.
The installation of the iconic Brisbane St Mall Christmas tree begins today and will be completed by next week.
City of Launceston Mayor Mathew Garwood said it had been spruced to such a degree most casual observers would believe it to be a wholly new tree.
"While the frame of the tree remains the same, all foliage has been upgraded and the old lighting system has been entirely replaced with a new wraparound system that can display patterns utilising more than
7000 individual lights and almost 2000 baubles," Mayor Garwood said.
In addition to the ever-popular tree, the Brisbane St Mall will be decorated with 250m of festoon lights, accompanied by twinkle balls and baubles hung from almost 1km of catenary wire.
"Elsewhere in the CBD, there will be more than 140 corflute decorations incorporating children's artwork and 100 street banners while in Civic Square, Rocherlea's The Shed is working with our Place Making Team to develop community decorations and LED lighting," Mayor Garwood said.
Launceston Central Executive Officer Amanda McEvoy said the festive spirit and plethora of fantastic retailers made the CBD incredibly attractive for Christmas shopping across all age groups and interest
areas.
"From now until Christmas, there’ll be free family entertainment in the Brisbane St Mall every Saturday between 10am and 3pm, with community groups and school children singing, face painters, colouring-in
activities, and the delightful Mrs Claus making her rounds of the city,” Ms McEvoy said.
"Plus our beloved annual hunt for Santa’s lost reindeer takes on an exciting new twist this year, with participants now able to listen to Santa’s clues via a free app, before sleuthing their way around town to find the errant reindeer hidden in shop windows throughout the city centre."
Shoppers are invited to vote for their favourite Christmas window decorations by posting a photo to social media with the hashtag #LaunnieChristmas2023, and children can post their letters to Santa in Santa's Mailbox in the Old Brisbane Arcade — and if they do so before December 21, they’ll receive a special reply in the mail.
Due to the upgrade of the Christmas tree and city-wide decorations, the Council has allocated a full week to the installation, ahead of one of the most popular events on the Launceston community's calendar — the lighting of the Christmas tree on Friday, November 24.
Full details of Christmas in the City events and activities are available at launcestoncentral.com.au.
*City of Launceston staff and contractors