December 10, 2021
The organisers of the Kingaroy Christmas Carnival didn’t know what to expect when they announced the event had to be shifted this year to Memorial Park.
Road closures linked to the Kingaroy Transformation Project made the move necessary, but the committee wondered … would the crowds still come?
And then there was the rain. The recent downpours made the ground in the park too soft for the big carnival rides that usually grace the street event.
Instead more park-friendly attractions were organised for younger children, including pony rides, face-painting and an inflatable slide.
But the committee need not have worried.
The crowd seemed bigger than ever with families flocking in from 4:00pm.
The Kingaroy Rotary Club gambled and brought along 36 hams to raffle – more than last year – and 29 were gone within the first hour!
Market stalls were spread along two rows, giving everyone plenty of choices for last-minute Christmas gifts.
Santa even made a special appearance, arriving on a specially built sleigh drawn by two ponies.
Hughie also smiled on the event … a threatening afternoon storm slid by Kingaroy with just a few drops falling.
Heavier rain held off until almost the end when a cloudburst cut the evening short.
[Originally published as “Families Love Christmas In The Park”]
