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The City of Holdfast Bay will celebrate Christmas 2025 with an afternoon and evening of Christmas-inspired activities in Moseley Square and the Bay Discovery Centre, including Christmas crafts, youth market stalls, face painting, games and photos with Santa, ending with an evening of community carols on the lawns of Jimmy Melrose Park.

This vibrant community event, filled with colour, music and magic, marks the beginning of the festive season in the City of Holdfast Bay. Traditionally, Council hosts the Glenelg Christmas Pageant, however, due to the Transforming Jetty Road Glenelg project construction schedule and associated road closures, a street parade is not possible for 2025.

Instead, Council will celebrate Christmas 2025 with an afternoon and evening of Christmas-inspired activities in Moseley Square and the Bay Discovery Centre, including Christmas crafts, youth market stalls, face painting, games and photos with Santa.

The evening will feature traditional community carols at twilight, complemented by a small stage show on the Glenelg Foreshore.

When
Saturday 6 December at 3:00pm - 8:30pm
Where
Jimmy Melrose Park
Topic
Kids & Family, Community, Music, Accessible Event
Audience
Families
Cost
Free
Contacts
Business / Organisation Name:
City of Holdfast Bay
Phone:
Community Christmas Carols
  • Charmaine Janitha (Jones) & Gospo Collective will headline the stage show, bringing soulful harmonies and festive flair.
  • Special Guest: Malibu Drive, Adelaide’s high-energy party band, will also feature lighting up the stage with their vibrant music.
  • Enjoy performances from local favourites including Dancers by Donna, Aero Kids, St Andrews Church Choir, and Glenelg Primary School Choir.
  • AUSLAN interpreters will be present to ensure the carols are accessible to our hard-of-hearing community.
Children's Activities

The following free activities will fill Moseley Square and its surrounds from 3pm - 6pm

  • Free Face Painting by Nifty Entertainment - From glittery reindeer noses to colourful Christmas trees, the team from Nifty Entertainment will add a little sparkle to your child's Christmas at the Bay experience
  • Christmas craft by the City of Holdfast Bay Library team - Join the Holdfast Bay Library team in Moseley Square for a fun and free Christmas craft activity!
  • Loose Parts Play with Climbing Tree - Let imaginations run wild at the Foreshore! We have teamed up with Climbing Tree to bring you Loose Parts Play, a hands-on, nature-inspired activity where children (and grown-ups too!) can build, create and explore using a treasure trove of natural materials. Join us on the grassed area near the Foreshore Playground and let the children dive into open-ended play while you relax and enjoy the beautiful Christmas vibes. No bookings required, just bring your imagination!
  • Christmas Cookies with Dot Chocolate - Perfect for children 5 and up, each participant will be guided through decorating three delicious shortbread cookies, which they can take home in a special gift pack. Bookings will open shortly for this activity
  • Come and Try Beach Volleyball - Join the team from Volleyball SA on Glenelg Beach, where you will learn the basic skills of beach volleyball with qualified coaches. Courts will also be available for free play.
Visit Santa

You will be able to visit Santa and Mrs Claus at the Glenelg Town Hall between 3pm - 5.40pm

Bookings can be made online via trybooking

https://www.trybooking.com/1492934

  • Tickets are free.
  • Tickets are distributed for 20-minute time slots, with the first session beginning at 3pm, and the last session at 5.20pm.
  • There will be no professional photographer, but we encourage you to take photos on your devices.

We will set up an area for you and your family to safely queue when it is time to get in line to see Santa, with shade provided.

Youth Markets

This year, the Youth Markets will be at the Christmas event.

In Moseley Square, you will find a series of young designers and creatives aged 10 - 25 who will be selling their wares. With a wide range of crafted items, be sure to come along and show them your support.

The Youth Markets will be open for sale from 3pm - 7pm.

Accessibility - AUSLAN Interpreter

To ensure our deaf and hard-of-hearing community can enjoy the magic of the season, an Auslan interpreter will be present throughout the Community Carols.

Feeling hungry?

With so many cafes and restaurants down Jetty Road, you will be spoilt for choice, but if you need something quick whilst you wait for Santa, the lovely volunteers from the Rotary Club of Glenelg will have their BBQ fired up from 3pm to 8.30pm for a quick sausage sizzle.