Twenty-eight years ago the first Hobart Christmas Pageant was held to celebrate the commencement of the festive season in the city.
Today it is Tasmania’s largest Christmas parade and a hugely popular tradition, delighting both adults and children with the colourful community floats, spectacular dance processions, wondrous music and of course the thrilling finale being the arrival of Santa Claus.
The 2009 Myer Hobart Christmas Pageant will take place on Saturday 21 November commencing at 10.30am. Entries vary from the traditional to the contemporary with a fabulous range of entries from community groups, businesses, clubs, charities, school groups. This year the Pageant will see over 10 first time entrants, and around 54 entries in all.
This year the Council has organised a great range of pre-Pageant entertainment around the route, so be sure to make your way into the City and find a viewing spot by 9.30am. For the first time this year, spectators will be able to hear a running commentary from announcers around the Pageant route. Further information on locations of the announcers will be available on this site soon.
At the conclusion of the Pageant, children's activities will be held in the new Liverpool Street urban park and link to Cat & Fiddle Arcade. Be sure to call in and write that special letter to Santa, or make some special food to leave out for the reindeer's on Christmas eve!
The Pageant is a free family fun event and an occassion not to be missed!
The Pageant will commence in Argyle Street outside the Hobart Private Hospital. Given safety considerations, there will be no spectator viewing available in Lower Collins Street, or the hospital side of Argyle Street. Tasmania Police and Pageant Marshalls will give particular attention to these areas to ensure the safety of all spectators and entrants.
The parade will travel from Argyle Streets (outside the Hobart Private Hospital), turning left into Liverpool Street, left into Harrington Street, then left down Collins Street to finish back near the corner of Collins and Argyle Streets.
All entries cover the complete Pageant route, so it doesn’t matter what area of the route you are on – you’ll still be able to enjoy the parade! Spectators are encouraged not to forget that upper Collins Street and Harrington Street are excellent viewing areas.
The pre-Pageant entertainment will cover the whole Pageant route, with groups performing a 7-8 minute set at each location allocated to performers. The locations of performance areas will be marked on the map available on this site soon.
Please note there will be no viewing for general members of the public on the Royal Hobart Hospital / Hobart Private Hospital side of Argyle Street, or in the Collins Street area between Argyle Street and Campbell Street. This secion of Collins Street will be for Pageant participants only.
To ensure the 2009 Myer Hobart Christmas Pageant is a fun and safe event for everyone, the Hobart City Council will again implement the blue line.
With tens of thousands of people spread out along the route to view the annual Pageant, it is important to ensure the safety of both participants and spectators along the route.
The blue line will be clearly marked on the road to ensure all spectators remain a safe distance from the entrants at all times, in particular large trucks or trailers. Pageant Marshalls will closely monitor that all spectators remain behind the blue line at all times during the Pageant’s progress, but we also stress that parents and carers of young children must ensure that children stay behind the line at all times also.
In the areas where there is no blue line marked along the route, patrons are asked to stay behind any temporary fencing / bunting in place.
Further information in relation to the 2009 Myer Hobart Christmas Pageant will be available in the Hobart City Council Christmas Liftout in the Mercury on Friday 20 November, 2009 or by visiting the Important Pageant Information link on this website.
The Hobart City Council gratefully acknowledges the support provided by the following sponsors of the 2009 Myer Hobart Christmas Pageant:
