For over 20 years residents and visitors have joined together on Davey Street to celebrate the start of the festive season and witness the lighting of the Norfolk Pine. In true 2020 style, things will be a little different this year. There will be no queues. There will be no grand arrival for Santa and his friends. There will be no fireworks (sorry everyone!).
You would think this means that Christmas is cancelled, but no. The Events team have been working around the clock to reimagine everyone's favourite Christmas Festival and create a range of experiences to bring the magic of Christmas to everyone, wherever you may be at Christmas time.
There will be music, arts and crafts, stories, lights and even a chance to be declared an Honorary Elf.There will be pop-up activations and decorations throughout the city and trails to help you discover the magic with your family and friends.
Let's delve a little deeper into how this 'deconstructed' Christmas Festival will look and how you can get involved.
Become one of Santa's Honorary Elves at Frankston's Magical Christmas Experience
Free tickets are now available for Frankston's Magical Christmas Experience.Ideal for kids aged 10 and under, this adventure will give you the opportunity to become an honorary elf for the next 12 months. You'll start by picking your elf name before continuing the journey to the North Pole to see Santa. Guided by Santa's more experienced elves, you will be lead through magical lands and be given a range of challenges to find your way to Santa. You may even meet some familiar faces along the way! There will be plenty of photo opportunities for the quick thinking parents and every child will receive a showbag at the end. Tickets for this magical adventure are free but places are limited so make sure you get in quick to secure your spot.
Frankston's Magical Christmas Trail
If you prefer to stay outdoors and explore the magic of Christmas independently, then Frankston's Magical Christmas Trail is for you!
10 clues are scattered across the city (the entire trail is approximately 2kms in total) each revealing a letter which you can unjumble to find the Magical Christmas code word. Explore the city's streets, laneways and wander the water's edge (hint!) to find each location and scan the QR code for the next location's clue.
You will need a smart device to read the QR codes at each location which will reveal the clue to find the next location on the trail and another letter. Once you have deciphered the clues and found the Magical Christmas code word, enter this and your details on the entry form to go into the draw to win a $50 voucher to spend at local Frankston City businesses.
You must visit all locations, decipher the clues and complete your entry form by 5pm, 21 December to go into the prize draw. The trail will be available until late December so for those more interested in the adventure, there is no rush.
Explore the trail as a family or take it up a notch and challenge your family and friends to see who can find the all of the clues and uncover the Magical Christmas code word the fastest. A little competition always livens up a long overdue family reunion.
The first clue can be found here – what are you waiting for? Get a group together and start hunting.
Frankston's Magical Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is possibly the most magical night of the season. The joy of putting out carrots for the reindeer and 'milk' and cookies for Santa, as the anticipation builds for his grand arrival. 'How does he get into the house when we don't have a chimney?'
To help restore calm, or possibly add to the excitement, the team at Frankston City Libraries has called on all of their contacts to get the big man himself to do a special Christmas Eve storytime session. Join Santa at 6.30pm on Christmas Eve for a bedtime story and a subtle reminder to head to bed early!
Not just for Christmas Eve, but certainly a good time to get into the spirit, Frankston City Libraries has also created a great range of Christmas Craft packs for the kids (just a note to our wonderful visitors, you must be a Frankston City resident to receive these). Head to the website to register for yours and the team will let you know when it is ready to be collected.
If the excitement is still too much, at 7pm tune into Kanopy to watch a special showing of Max's Christmas – free to access with your Frankston City Library membership.
Crafts ✅
Bed time story ✅
Christmas movie ✅
A reminder from Santa to head to bed early ✅
The only thing left is the music!
Frankston Magical Christmas Concert is the perfect background playlist for your Christmas Eve celebrations and is available to stream from the Frankston Events Facebook page or Frankston Arts Centre YouTube channel. Including performances by Lucy Durack, Rob Mills, Bethany Fisher, PLOS Musical Productions, the Frankston City Band and more. You can also see the pre-recorded lighting of the 100 year-old Norfolk Pine. Hot tip – the lights turn on every evening at 8pm, so you can head down to Davey Street to see the tree in the flesh.
So while Frankston City's favourite Christmas Festival of Lights may look a little different this year, all of the elements are there so you can kick off the festive season and start enjoying the city again.
Check out even more ways to enjoy a magical Christmas in Frankston City here, including finding where to buy your Christmas Tree, opportunities for gift giving and where to find the best neighbourhood Christmas Lights around the City.
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