20-01-2025
On the 14 December 2024, the Crookwell Christmas Street Festival brought the village of Crookwell to life, attracting over 5,000 residents and visitors who came to experience a true Country Christmas.
The day was filled with nonstop activities, particularly for the children, who were thrilled to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, capturing the festive spirit of the season.
Attendees enjoyed a variety of performances, including a comedic rendition of “12 Days of Christmas” by the Crookwell Amateur Drama Society, the energetic band Lumpy Underdacks, rising country star Jordi Wells, and the talented group Sugar and Spice.
The event was made even more special with the unveiling of a new street art installation by renowned artist Carl Valerius. This installation was created to attract visitors and provide fantastic photo opportunities.
Chief Executive Officer Alex Waldron expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the NSW Government for their support through the Open Streets Program, which has helped make this event larger and more enjoyable. “Their contribution allows us to bring our community together and celebrate the festive season in a way that highlights the best of Crookwell,” she noted.
Mayor Culhane shared his enthusiasm for this community event, crediting the hard work of the Upper Lachlan Shire Council team members and the NSW Government. “This has been a wonderful initiative from both the Upper Lachlan Shire Tourism and Economic Development Team and the NSW Government, through Transport for NSW.”
“Country towns must continue to put themselves on the map with events like this. For a small town, we go above and beyond to create a sense of community while also trying to develop tourism,” he added. “If you asked anyone here today, they would say they had an extraordinary time – this is a true testament to our community members, business owners, and Council.”
“We look forward to continuing to pursue federal and state funding opportunities to create amazing events like this. Additionally, we have our Australia Day celebrations coming up in January, so I encourage everyone to keep an eye out for more details soon.”
Minister for Roads, Arts, Music and the Night-Time Economy, Jobs and Tourism John Graham said:
“We’re excited to have supported this event in Crookwell.
“Too often our main streets are something we drive through, rather than drive to. Our streets are a critical part of our public and social infrastructure. Great streets make great towns and centres and reflect the local community and culture.
“The Open Streets program is about temporarily transforming our main streets into vibrant and welcoming public event spaces.
“The colour and diversity of these 130 events celebrates the unique personality of each town or suburb. This is what our vibrancy agenda is all about, backing locals to create events and entertainment that works for their local community.”
The Upper Lachlan Shire Council warmly welcomes all visitors. With its snow-dusted winters, cozy warm fires, vibrant autumn foliage, abundant spring blooms, and mild sunny summers, the Upper Lachlan region is beautifully situated high on the Great Dividing Range. It’s conveniently located less than an hour from Canberra and just 2½ hours from Sydney, making it the perfect destination for a day trip, a weekend getaway, or an extended stay.
