Thursday, 20 December, 2018
Newcastle Permanent was thrilled to support three magical community events across the Hunter region this festive season; Medowie Christmas Carnival (formally known as Medowie Rotary Carols), Cessnock City Carols and The City of Newcastle Carols by Candlelight presented by Newcastle Herald and Newcastle Permanent.
Cessnock and Medowie events went off with a bang under a warm, clear summer night sky. Families were treated with free Newcastle Permanent Santa Hats and Christmas baubles. Local talent, well-known musicians and community groups entertained crowds and amusement rides were also on offer for the kids too.
The City of Newcastle Carols by Candlelight held at King Edward Park took a different turn of events. The threat of wet weather and a storm caused some uncertainty and impacted on audience numbers, however the iconic event went ahead as planned. The weather held out for the most part, allowing staff members to set up the Newcastle Permanent marquee as a craft hub for kids to colour-in and decorate their free Christmas bauble. Santa Hats were also a hit among families, which no doubt will feature on this year’s Chrissy card.
This year we were thrilled to invite along The Salvation Army to set up a Christmas Toy Drive collection point at King Edward Park for the Carols event. This initiative was an extension of Newcastle Permanent’s partnership with the Salvos in an effort to collect toys and Christmas gifts for underprivileged children and teenagers.
Despite the unfriendly weather, a strong 2500 crowd turned out to celebrate Christmas, and Santa dropped by just in time before the rain set in!
A huge thank you to our incredible teams on the ground joining in to make this festive season the best one yet!
On behalf of the Newcastle Permanent team, Merry Christmas and have a safe and happy New Year!