Adelaide Christmas Pageant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant |
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Father Christmas greeting South Australians at the Adelaide Town Hall in 2019
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| Status | Active |
| Genre | Christmas Pageant |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Years active | 90 |
| Inaugurated | 18 November 1933 |
| Founder | Sir Edward Hayward |
| Previous event | 13 November 2021 |
| Next event | 12 November 2022 |
| Attendance | 325,000+ (2019) |
| Sponsor | National Pharmacies |
The National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant is a super fun parade held every year in Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It started way back in 1933. This amazing event usually happens on the second Saturday of November. It kicks off around 9:30 AM, except in 2020 and 2021 when it was shown at 7:00 PM.
The parade is huge! It features 85 different groups and 1,700 volunteers. You'll see about 63 colourful floats, 15 lively bands, 164 funny clowns, dancing groups, and lots of walking performers. The best part is when Father Christmas arrives at the end! This pageant is so special that the National Trust of Australia calls it a "heritage icon." The Government of South Australia also sees it as a "state institution."
The Government of South Australia has owned the pageant since 1996. Since 2019, National Pharmacies has been the main sponsor, giving the event its current name.
The parade route starts on King William Street at South Terrace. It then winds through the city and finishes at Adelaide Town Hall. Before 2019, the pageant used to end on North Terrace. There, Father Christmas would go inside the old John Martin's store (later David Jones) to the special Magic Cave. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pageant was held at Adelaide Oval. Only a limited number of people could attend, chosen by a special ticket system.
Contents
The Pageant's Amazing History
How It All Started
Adelaide's Christmas Pageant was created by Sir Edward Hayward. He owned the famous John Martin's department store in Adelaide. Sir Edward was inspired by big parades he saw in other countries, like the Toronto Santa Claus Parade and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
He held the very first 'Children's Christmas Parade' on 18 November 1933. This was during a tough time called the Great Depression. But it was a huge success! The first parade lasted about 40 minutes. It had only 8 floats and 3 bands. Yet, 200,000 people came to watch. From that day on, the 'Johnnie's Christmas Pageant' tradition began. Father Christmas joined the parade in 1934. That's also when the tradition of the pageant ending at the Magic Cave started. The Magic Cave itself had been around since 1905.
Growing Through the Years
The pageant took a break during World War II from 1941 to 1944. It came back in 1945. By 1969, the event had grown much bigger. About 500,000 people attended, and it even started being shown on TV. In 1979, a record 16 new floats were added to the parade.
In 1985, another company called David Jones bought John Martin's. They kept the pageant going under the John Martin's name. Later, in the mid-1990s, the Government of South Australia took over the event. They looked for sponsors from local businesses. In 1996, six South Australian Credit Unions became the main sponsors.
Today, Events South Australia manages the pageant. This group is part of the South Australian Tourism Commission. The Pageant Queen is a long-standing tradition. In 2009, a Pageant King and Princes were added. Together, they form the Pageant Royal Family. This Royal Family visits schools, libraries, and hospitals, sharing the pageant's magic.
Record-Breaking Moments
In 2008, there was an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the longest Mexican wave. Unfortunately, it didn't quite make it.
But in 2010, the spectators broke a record! They set a new world record for the largest group of carol singers. Over 9,100 people sang Christmas carols together. This beat the old record of 7,541 singers from the USA.
Recent Changes
In 2019, National Pharmacies became the main sponsor. The parade route also changed that year. It no longer ended at the David Jones building. Instead, it now finishes at Adelaide Town Hall.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 pageant was very different. Instead of a street parade, it was held at Adelaide Oval. Only 25,000 people were allowed to attend. The event also moved from morning to evening, starting at 7 PM. Tickets were given out through a special ballot system.
The 2021 event was also held at Adelaide Oval due to ongoing restrictions. This time, 35,000 people could attend, and masks were required. The 2022 pageant was expected to return to the street parade format, using the 2019 route.
Watching the Pageant
The Pageant is currently shown on NWS-9, which is the local Nine Network channel. In the past, it was broadcast on other channels like SAS-7 and ABS-2.
Many different people have been commentators over the years. They help describe all the exciting things happening in the parade. Some well-known names include Jane Reilly, Ron Sullivan, and Kevin Crease.
In recent years, commentators have included:
- 2005-2007: Rob Kelvin and Georgina McGuinness
- 2008: Kelly Nestor and Brenton Ragless
- 2009: Brenton Ragless and Kate Collins
- 2015: Brenton Ragless and Kate Collins
In 2015, the pageant was broadcast to other Australian cities like Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney for the first time on the GEM channel.
