Christmas cheer
Christmas carols are a fail-safe option for some family fun – and you’ll be able to go to more than one as there are plenty rolling out across all corners of the Gold Coast. It all kicks off with the seventh annual Mayor’s Christmas Carols presented by Mercedes-Benz Gold Coast on Saturday December 1 at Broadwater Parklands. The Broadbeach Christmas Carols are on Saturday December 8, as are Carols by the Lake in Varsity Lakes, the Ormeau Carols and the Coolangatta Christmas Carols are both on Sunday December 9, the Burleigh Christmas Carols are on Thursday December 13, while both Labrador’s Carols in the Park and Christmas Carols at NightQuarter fall on Saturday December 15. There’s also White Christmas at Movie World on various dates throughout December (these are always super fun), while the Christmas hype comes to a head at the Surfers Paradise Carols on the Beach on Sunday December 23.
Foodie fun and family-friendly festive markets
Venture south to the Valley Vibes Twilight Market in Tallebudgera Valley on Sunday December 2, or head up to the Christmas in the Park at Pacific Pines on Saturday December 8 for food trucks, market stalls, lights, carols and rides. The Christmas Night Market in Currumbin is on Friday December 14, before the festive vibes hit an all-time high on Friday December 21 with the Hinterland Feast at Country Paradise Parklands. For some more Christmas fun, the Coolangatta Good Vibes Market is on Sunday December 23 – the kids will be kept busy by music, Christmas entertainment and plenty of food while you get some last-minute shopping done at the market stalls. If you and the brood are regulars at The Village Markets in Burleigh, know that there is an extra Christmas TVM happening on Sunday December 9, in addition to its regular markets on December 2 and December 16. For some non-festive fun, be sure to put Saturday January 19 in your diary – the Summer Ice-Cream Festival is coming to NightQuarter. Then, on Sunday January 27 Graze on the Green in Hope Island is happening, which will see the greens of The Links golf course transform into one giant family-friendly picnic.
Beyond Christmas
Want the kids to experience something really different this summer? On Thursday January 10 (in the afternoon) the star of ABC animal show Deadly 60, Steve Backshall, will hit The Star Gold Coast stage with his newest show, DEADLY 60 DOWN UNDER – there will be live animals on stage, audience participation, a Q&A, and plenty of stories of his wild Australian adventures. If you’re raising little punk rockers, then you won’t want to miss the Regurgitator Kids Show at HOTA on Saturday January 12 – yep a punk-rock concert, just for kids! As part of the gallery’s Let There Be Rock exhibition (December 8 to February 17), the famed Brisbane group will bring a witty mash up of G-rated funk, pop and rock to the stage – and the kids can also join in the ArtLab: Glam Your Guitar session that morning and bling-up a cardboard guitar to rock out with for the concert. The action continues with the jaw-dropping talent of 360 All Stars, which will take over HOTA with a short run of high-intensity shows from January 16–19. FAME The Musical is also coming to HOTA on January 24–26, which is great for some new-year inspo for the high school kids.
This article was prepared with our good friends at Smith Collective.
