Christmas on the Coast
As Christmas comes to the Sunshine Coast, the local community is celebrating the festive season from the coast to the countryside. Georgia Beard prepares a wish list of all the events, exhibitions and feasts we have to experience!
Strings of multicoloured lights dangle from trees and rooftops, gift stores bustle with parents clutching wish lists and carols can be heard on the wind. It’s the dawn of Christmas, when we feel that festive spirit settling over the Sunshine Coast to make us ready for the arrival of the man in red himself.
The region is coming alive with festive celebrations of every kind. From traditional roast feasts to local festivals to artisan markets, we’re coming together to rejoice in all things merry and bright.
FESTIVITIES
The Festive Garden is coming alive with Christmas lights, roving entertainment and exciting performances at the Maroochy Regional Bushland Botanic Garden!
Explore this magical world on 16 to 20 December from 5pm – 9pm, meeting Santa Claus and his elves, joining story time with The Night Before Christmas and experiencing performances from The Grinch Live Christmas Show and the Sunshine Statesmen Barbershop Chorus!
Enjoy food trucks, glow lights and entry with a free park-n-ride shuttle bus from the UniSC Transit Centre. Entry tickets are free, but bookings are essential!
The Lights on the Lake Festival is back on the shores of Currimundi on 4 December! Decorate your canoe, kayak or paddle board with Christmas lights and you could win a prize for the best decorated watercraft as you join the parade of brightly lit boats at nightfall. Enjoy kids’ activities, live entertainment, a drumming circle and market stalls. The evening ends with a stunning laser light show from the main stage.
The 58th Annual Peregian Beach Carols are back! On Wednesday 21 December from 3pm in Peregian Park, experience the festive sounds of local musicians, choirs and dancers while enjoying food and artisan stalls, face painting, a laser light show and a special visit from Santa!
The Sunshine Coast Symphony Orchestra (SCSO) will launch you into the festive season in unforgettable style with A Night at the Proms. In Albert Hall Proms tradition, the Orchestra will celebrate with an all-British programme of music and vibrant colour.
Join the Sunshine Plaza in celebrating everyone’s weird and wonderful traditions, because Merrything goes this Christmas! In the countdown to 25 December, Sunshine Plaza is hosting a variety of festive activities from face painting to carolling to band performances to visits from Mrs Claus, Rudolf and Frosty the Snowman!
Make new family memories with Santa photography sessions at Santa’s workshop until 24 December. Kids can also visit Sensitive Santa in a calm and relaxed environment. Make sure to book! Plus, drop off your letter at Santa’s mailbox in Centre Court no later than Sunday 11 December, and receive a reply from Santa himself!
Caloundra Regional Gallery is hosting It’s a Wrap – Artisan Markets on 18 November, complimented with live music, food and bar! Visitors can enjoy the holiday season, do some unique gift shopping and support the local creative community!
Over December, Caloundra Regional Gallery also invites you to experience a variety of workshops and exhibitions. Explore their Upcoming Events for more!
Experience a cracker of a Christmas Shopping Night supporting local artists and makers at Stevens Street Gallery! On 9 December from 5pm to 9pm, find your Christmas gifts from a collection of beautifully crafted, handmade, locally designed, and ethically created goods. Once you’ve done all your shopping, relax with the live music and open bar in next door’s beer garden from Bar Deco Yandina!
FEASTS
Celebrate Christmas the Italian way at Bella Venezia, recent winner of the Large Hospitality Award at the Sunshine Coast Business Awards 2022! Reserve your table early to indulge in an award-winning wine list and premium imported Italian ingredients!
On the sunset-coloured banks of Bulcock Beach, indulge in a three-course Christmas Lunch from Acqua Restaurant! Begin with Smoked Salmon, Natural Oysters and Bocconcini Balls followed by mains of Goldband Snapper, Seafood Platter for 1, Rib Eye Fillet and Chicken Supreme and desserts of Trileqe and Orange and Almond Meal Cake!
Book your Christmas catch-ups with friends and family at Sole Restaurant, where you can enjoy a pre fixe Lunch Special with two courses and a glass of wine or beer for $55 or three courses for $60. It’s good for the sole!
Celebrate Christmas with a Modern Asian banquet on the deck of Dee Den. Pair ‘The Feed’ or ‘The Feast’ with a new selection of summer cocktails, including the vibrant Mango Daiquiri or the peachy Quandong G&T.
Seeking traditional, trattoria-style Italian this Christmas? Book a table at All’ Antica for quality homemade food sourced locally and overseas, showcasing the diverse regions throughout Italy.
Enjoy long, lazy lunches in the heart of Eumundi at Bask! Book your Christmas Lunch through December with A La Carte dining on Thursday evenings, Friday lunch and dinner or Long Lunches every Saturday afternoon from 12.30pm.
Nothing brings the festive cheer in Queensland like fresh, local fare! Get the family together or treat your team to a fantastic festive feast at The Nautical this silly season. Enjoy a two-course meal with a drink or indulge in a full three-course feast for Christmas at The Nautical!
Gather your gang for a slick, sensational Christmas at one of Tony Kelly’s iconic restaurant ventures.
Experience Rice Boi, the Japanese Izakaya-feel dive bar at The Wharf Mooloolaba or his sister Giddy Geisha, serving big Asian flavours and quirky cocktails in Maroochydore CBD. Then head to the hinterland for Piggyback, the backstreet, urban little brother in the heart of Palmwoods piggybacking off the success of his older siblings.
Enjoy a splash of Greek flavour at The Wharf’s Spero, the beach-style eatery you might find in Corfu Town. Staying Mediterranean, make your way to Bocca at Bokarina Beach for an Italian extravaganza of fresh flavours.
MARKET BISTRO / MARKET WINE STORE
Is there a better Christmas gift than a bottle of wine? Absolutely – a gift voucher for a bottle of wine! Treat your loved ones with a Market Wine Store or Market Bistro Gift Card, with which they can peruse the beer, wine and liquor shelves to their heart’s content or settle in for a European dining experience.
Give the gin lover in your life a gift filled with good vibes and a heavy dose of Sunshine Coast nostalgia with Sunshine & Sons Pineapple Parfait Gin! Or surprise them with the taste of something new, like the Electric Red Gin, a love child of the Original Dry Gin and the Brazilian jabuticaba fruit!
Share the taste of paradise this Christmas with Paradise Rum’s refreshing range of rums and gins! Gather your rum-loving mates together for Bingo Night in Paradise, Jag the Joker or a Sunday Sesh at the distillery!
Celebrate A Very Wonky Christmas at Wonky Loaf! Pre-Order your Christmas Wonkies by 5pm on 20 December for pickup at the Kuluin Cafe on Christmas Eve. Filled with burnt cheesecake custard or mango and pineapple, the limited edition Cronetto is a Christmas treat you can’t go without!
Give the gift of health this Christmas with Good Harvest’s online gift vouchers or home-delivered boxes of fruit and vegetables! Plus, take the stress out of grocery shopping for your Christmas Day roast and order the Signature Seasonal Box, Flexi Seasonal Box or Build Your Own Box.
GREENSMITH GROCERS CHRISTMAS MARKET NIGHT
This Christmas, support local brands and farmers at Greensmith Grocers’ Christmas Market Night! On Thursday 1 December from 4.30pm – 6.45pm, complete you Christmas shopping, stock up on silly season staples and indulge in free food tastings!
Silo Wholefoods is stocking up on a fresh range of organic Christmas treats. Fill your stockings and follow your Christmas lunches with truffles, peanut brittle, mince pies, gingerbread men and more!
