Birchip is aglow with holiday cheer as the town sparkles under dazzling Christmas lights and festive decorations.

Adding to the magic, Santa’s Kingdom has officially opened its doors at the Birchip Neighbourhood House in the Old Shamrock Hotel in Cumming Avenue.

This year, the beloved Christmas attraction invites families to step into a snowy wonderland. From a candy store to Santa’s workshop and a gingerbread house, every corner is filled with festive delight, offering an enchanting experience for all ages.

Santa Claus himself made a special appearance on Wednesday and will return on Friday, December 19, between 10 a.m. and 12 noon, ready to share a laugh, hear holiday wishes, and pose for memorable photos with visitors.

Make sure to visit Santa’s Kingdom and the array of shops in Cumming Avenue, Birchip, that have lots of special items, perfect for Christmas gifts. From Bulls merchandise to designer clothes, toys, and personal items there is something for everyone right under your nose.

Bonus

A bonus of shopping locally is that local traders are very in tune with their clients, so they can help you find something special for that hard to buy for person.

There is another exciting reason to keep it local this festive season, with over $3000 worth of Big Bucks and prizes up for grabs in the annual Birchip Big Bucks Promotion.

Birchip Big Bucks

By supporting participating local businesses, shoppers not only contribute to the town’s thriving economy, but also stand a chance to win Big Bucks they can use in the lead up to Christmas to help meet those extra Christmas costs.

Shoppers can collect their lucky tickets from the Birchip Newsagency, and every time they make a purchase at a participating business, they need to ask the trader to initial a bauble on the card.

Once all nine baubles are signed, drop it off in the box at the Birchip Newsagency and pick up a new card to keep the excitement going!

Shoppers, don’t forget to remind businesses to initial your card, and businesses please remind shoppers to get their cards signed.

Local businesses not yet involved can still contribute and join the promotion by calling Carol Reid or Emily Noonan, or by contacting the Birchip Neighbourhood House.

Prizes

Prizes will be drawn at the Birchip Community Christmas Party on Sunday, December 15, when there will also be more opportunities to shop at the array of Christmas markets.

Local market stall holders and entrepreneurial youth in the community are setting up stalls in Morrison Street from 11a.m. at the Birchip Community Christmas Party. There will be dog leads, candles, plants, handmade crafts, slime, resin art, biscuits, Mallee Relish, Chunky cookie, scrunchies and lots more niche items to purchase, perfect for those last minute Christmas gifts.

Community Christmas Party

The festive cheer doesn’t stop at shopping. The Birchip Christmas Party will offer a day filled with entertainment, delicious food, children’s rides and community spirit, starting with an ecumenical Church service and Carol Singing in the hall at 10 a.m..

The new daytime format is designed to be a casual affair, with lots of opportunities for catching up with family and friends while the children enjoy the rides.

The rides will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and with rides like the Cha Cha, blow-up activity centre, and bungy trampolines, there will be something for all ages. Santa will even make a special appearance for the kids!

Guests will be able to enjoy a barbecue lunch between noon and 1.30 p.m., coffee from the Red Caboose coffee van, and festive treats from the CWA. Children and adults alike will be able to feast on slushies, snow cones, and soft drinks from the traders and adults can b.y.o. alcohol if they wish.

Entertainment

A roving entertainer will delight visitors with magic, stilt walking, balloon artistry and face painting throughout the day and Courtney from Mallee Family Care will have a pop-up playgroup to keep even the littlest visitors entertained.

To conclude the day’s activities, the Big Bucks draw will take place in the hall at 1:30 p.m., followed by the much-anticipated power point presentation reflecting on the year that was with photographs of events and activities happening in Birchip and to people connected with Birchip.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to celebrate Christmas, support local businesses, and win fabulous prizes. Let’s make this festive season a memorable one in Birchip!

This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 6 December 2024.