The success of the Pageant relies heavily on members of the general public joining in. School, sporting, community and business groups, as well as individuals, are invited to take part.
The Mt Barker Christmas Festival Committee, made up of dedicated volunteers, aims to bring together an annual event to celebrate the festivities of Christmas with the Adelaide Hills community. We are proud to say we have been doing that for 40 years.
The 2022 Mt Barker 40th Anniversary Christmas Pageant will be returning after a 2-year COVID-19 enforced break, on Saturday the 3rd December, with the parade leaving the Mt Barker Recreation Centre/oval at 10.30am, travelling through the town and finishing in Walker Street.
Entry is free to school and community clubs and groups and non-profit organisations, whilst businesses/commercial entities have a $100 entry fee. Please see the Sponsorship page for details.
Individuals can also take part by riding on one of the available Committee floats. When a business sponsors a float, they have the option to put their own people on it, but if they don’t take this up, we invite members of the public – children, teens and adults – to join in. Depending on which floats are available on the day, you could be Cinderella, a fireman, a Gingerbread Man, a lobster, and the list goes on! How about being a banner carrier or Christmas Tree at the head of the parade? Not to mention clowns to entertain the spectators along the route. A call for participants is put out in November, so keep an eye on the Costume Try-on Dates page for the dates and times.
Due to the increasing popularity of the pageant resulting in participant numbers well in excess of 1000 people each year, and in the wake of COVID-19, it has become necessary to introduce a few measures to help make the day more enjoyable, and safer, for organisers, participants and spectators. Please see below for updated entry requirements.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
After taking note of the following Committee rules, please complete and return the Entry Form, and Payment Form if you are a commercial entity/business, via email or the post, before the 7th November cut-off.
- A maximum of 30 walkers per entry. 1 vehicle safely carrying a larger number is permitted.
- Entries will be capped at 100, with none accepted beyond the cut-off date. Unfortunately, this will also include groups that turn up on the day without a confirmed entry.
- In the interests of safety, objects (lollies, flowers etc) are not to be thrown by participants; however, you may issue such items by hand.
- Alcohol will not be tolerated – either at the oval pre-pageant or being consumed by participants during the pageant.
- In the interest of safety, we cannot allow animals to enter the parade.
- Floats/entries are to be decorated in Festive/Pageant spirit.
- Commercial entities and those promoting a business are required to pay a $100 entry fee.
- Trucks and semi-trailers over 8.5m long, and large tractors, cannot be accommodated in the parade.
IMPORTANT NOTE RE CUT-OFF DATE
Due to tight organisational time pressures, entries received after the 7th November 2022 cut-off date will not be accepted.
Confirmation of your entry will be emailed to you prior to the pageant. If you have not received this confirmation before the entry cut-off-date, then please contact us – don’t be caught out assuming “someone else” has taken care of your entry!
Entrants not willing to comply with these rules should not proceed.
All participants enter at their own risk, and it is expected that all entrants conduct themselves in a safe and respectful manner.
On pageant day you will be required to be in position no later than 10.00 am – please report to a Marshal upon your arrival at the oval (Alexandrina Road entrance) to obtain your starting position / float number.
If you have any queries regarding the pageant, please contact us via email contact@mtbarkerpageant.org
We’d love you to be a part of this special year!
