It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas here in Melbourne, and to help us ring in the festive season, the City of Melbourne has announced the return of its epic, month-long Christmas Festival. From November 25 to December 25, our city will come alive with family-friendly (and mostly free!) events that are sure to turn any Grinch into a believer.
This year, you can look forward to exciting attractions like a Christmas-themed roller-skating rink in Carlton's Argyle Square; a full-size maze filled with giant presents and interactive games in Docklands; sound and light shows nightly from 9pm at Christmas Square; and a festive line-up of flicks showing at the Capitol Theatre.
You won't want to miss the inaugural Christmas River Show, which will illuminate Southbank every night, dazzling onlookers with water fountains, lasers, lights and projections set to a soundtrack of festive tunes.
Howey Place will be transformed into Santa's Workshop where you can snap plenty of jolly pics, while the Christmas Carnival will return to the banks of the Yarra River with treats, rides and arcade-style games. The Christmas Quest and Treasure Hunt is also back (and there are plenty of prizes to be won), and there will be mesmerising projections illuminating buildings like Melbourne Town Hall and the State Library Victoria.
And it wouldn't be the Christmas Festival without the return of the iconic 17.5 metre Christmas tree at Fed Square, so rest assured that it'll be lit up and on display.
Oh, and the best part? All attractions are free, aside from ticketed rides at the Christmas Carnival and Christmas Cinema, which is raising money for the Good Giving appeal for Make Room.
