Tinsel returns to Riverland town
The Renmark Christmas Pageant will return from a three-year absence after securing ongoing funding from the local council.
Renmark will enjoy the return of its annual Christmas Pageant in 2023.
Renmark Christmas Celebration Committee’s Neil Martinson said he wants to re-instill the Christmas spirit into Renmark.
“I want to try and encourage more people to become involved with Renmark, and to get the Christmas spirit spread throughout the district,” Martinson said.
His passion has been helped along by council funding of $15,000 per year and in-kind support for two years.
The Renmark Christmas Pageant has not run since 2020, due to hot weather conditions initially and then for the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Martinson aims to restore the pageant to its former glory as a popular community event that brought together families, friends and local businesses to celebrate the festive season.
“I’ve started the whole process of getting the pageant back, and I’ve received really good support from the community,” Martinson said.
He hoped the financial boost from the council would allow the pageant to have a grand return with up to 5000 visitors.
“I believe that Renmark was previously known as the pageant town of the Riverland, but we lost it all due to the heat and COVID. I want to instill that thinking back into the community,” Martinson said.
He has put out an appeal to all local community organisations and businesses to build floats for the annual event or get involved in other ways.
In the past, there have been more than 35 floats in the parade all vying for the “Best Float” prize – with the ABC reporting in 2013 that it was won by the local hospital for a reenactment of the 1953 flood evacuation.
Renmark Paringa Mayor Peter Hunter said that on top of the funding the council will also provide the necessary event infrastructure as well as a range of support services and mentoring.
“We are encouraged that community members would volunteer their time and energy to provide this function for all of our community to enjoy,” Hunter said.
“We are both excited and committed to supporting the return of the Renmark Christmas Pageant.”
Whilst the date is yet to be confirmed, in line with past traditions it is expected that the pageant will run on Friday 1 December 2023.
