Sensational-Adelaide.com

2017 Adelaide Christmas Pageant

AN estimated 330,000 pageant-goers have embraced the festive spirit today at Adelaide’s 85th Christmas Pageant – more than 70,000 people lining the street this year than in 2016 when it was wet.

In constrast, event organisers say today’s overcast but dry conditions were ideal for the event.

Aberfoyle Park dad Steven Dean arrived to get his prime Victoria Square spot at 4.30am, with wife Kellie catching in the 6.15am bus with boys Jesse, 6, and Campbell, 2.

“We’ve been coming ever since Jesse was born, we just love the atmosphere and the magic of it,” Steven said.

“For us it starts the countdown until Christmas.”

But he says, despite, pre-dawn arrival it wasn’t early enough to get a front row seat.

““To be honest, it is already pretty packed,” he said.

“A lot of the dads and grandads come in early and reserve a spot and the mums and kids come in a bit later.”

Sisters Laura, 26, and Ellen, 21, arrived to set up at Victoria Square just before 5am, keeping a spot for young friends Jasmine, two, and Jackson, four.

“Our parents did it for us for years and now it’s nice to do it for these kids,” says Laura.

“Little Jackson has last year’s pageant on DVD as much as he watches the Wiggles and Thomas the Tank Engine.”

Aberfoyle Park dad Steven Dean arrived to get his prime Victoria Square spot at 4.30am, with wife Kellie catching in the 6.15am bus with boys Jesse, 6, and Campbell, 2.

“We’ve been coming ever since Jesse was born, we just love the atmosphere and the magic of it,” Steven said.

“For us it starts the countdown until Christmas.”

Silvana Cosci was also here before the sun came up.

She says for the past few years she and some school nuns have arrived before 5am, and it has become “something of a tradition.”

Woodcroft dad of two Ian Brown arrived to set up on Wakefield St at 3.30am, his family following at 8am.

“We plan quite a long time ahead and it is fairly well thought out, where we’ll park, where we’ll set up ect,” he said.

“We usually stay on after the pageant also and have lunch in town - so we make a day of it.”

This year’s Pageant King, Michael Wood, 22, of Redwood Park and Pageant Queen Megan Olive, 37, of Andrews Farm described their first pageant experience as ‘unbelievable’.

“You dont really get a full perspective of the size of the Pageant until you’re in it,” Ms Olive said.

“Seeing so many young people up there and all their smiling faces and waving was just amazing.”

The duo were the first to ride on the Pageant Royal Family’s brand new float for 2017.

“We have been very well looked after,” Mr Wood said. Some of last year’s princes and princesses have been helping us all day,” he said.

Pageant King Michael and Pageant Queen Megan are both blood Leukaemia patients and made history as the first “royal couple” from the new charity partner of the iconic event.

“The Leukaemia Foundation have really helped both of us so much in our journey and provided so much support to us and our families, so to be able to give back it just great.”

Pageant Director Brian Gilbertson, who has now overseen fifteen pageants, said the event was another success, giving the crowd something new while honouring the traditions of the past 85 years.

“It’s about rearranging the line up each year and getting a good flow theatrically,” Mr Gilbertson said.

“We had five brand new float this year and of course all the favourites that Adelaide has come to know and love.”

The man of the hour, Father Christmas arrived at Kintore Avenue just after 11am.

For For the first time, he was then walked through the crowds on North Terrace to a golf buggy that paraded him through Rundle Mall to his home at the Magic Cave in David Jones where he will be until Christmas Eve.

Matt wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:04 pm

rev wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 15, 2017 1:35 pm

Sad, sad day for Australian history.
A country divided.
Only selfish, hypocritical morons and twats would celebrate a divisive result.

Hilarious.
So 61.6% of Aussies are selfish, hypocritical, morons and/or twats?

100% of states and territories voted yes.
89% of electorates voted yes.

"A country divided."

Get a bloody hold of yourself.

Ben wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:00 pm

Give it a break rev. Move on. You lost. Find something else to troll about now.

Ho Really wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 26, 2017 8:12 pm

timtam20292, no offence but rev has taken down his "It's OK to say No" avatar, perhaps it's time to archive yours too.

Cheers

The Scooter Guy wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 27, 2017 5:39 pm

Anyone remember when Johnny Rockets came to Adelaide?

OlympusAnt wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:42 pm

When I went to America, I tried Johnny Rockets in Long Beach, CA. I liked it.

I was looking for another chain but couldn't find it.

I had major accent problems in there as well

Maximus wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 28, 2017 11:28 am

The Scooter Guy wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 27, 2017 5:39 pm

Anyone remember when Johnny Rockets came to Adelaide?

Sure do. Circa 1998? I had a friend who worked there. Don't think it lasted too long, did it?

I also remember around the same time there was bar nearby that offered you to toss a coin when bought a round of drinks and if you called heads/tails correctly the drinks were free or half-price or something. Yeah, that didn't last too long as a sustainable business model...