General News
8 December, 2022
Celebrating the lighting up of Talbot
The Light Up Talbot event has been hailed a success, with over 200 community members celebrating the Christmas spirit last week. Marking its third year on Friday, the event saw the heart of the Talbot township transformed into a jewel-box of...
The Light Up Talbot event has been hailed a success, with over 200 community members celebrating the Christmas spirit last week.
Marking its third year on Friday, the event saw the heart of the Talbot township transformed into a jewel-box of Christmas colour and live entertainment.
A crowd of over 200 community members turned out and enjoyed a night of socialising, eating ice cream, sausages and tacos in the main street and listening to musical performances by students from the Maryborough Education Centre, the Majellan Singers and the Ballarat Vocal Studio.
Organised by Talbot Action Inc (TAI) as a way to bring the community together, the group’s Amanda Wedgewood said the night was a resounding success for the town.
“The night had a real social atmosphere which was great and everyone was so relaxed, it was just a lovely night,” she said.
“The weather was really good to us which is good and it’s the first time in a long time I think that people were able to get out and just relax.
“It was funny, we actually had trouble getting people into the hall for the concert because everyone was having such a great time socialising in the street.”
As part of the light display, a Christmas themed projection drifts and changes across the front of the Talbot Town Hall, the ANA Hall is now decorated as a gingerbread house and the community garden is filled with golden lights and decorated trees.
Houses and businesses along Ballarat Street, Heales Street, Camp Street and Scandinavian Crescent had all been beautifully lit.
Ms Wedgewood said the Light Up Talbot event was a way to showcase Talbot in a different light and celebrate all things community.
“I do think that because Talbot is small, it tends to miss out a bit from time to time and after COVID, we really needed a lift,” she said.
“If we can get a regular festival on the map and everyone knows it’s going to happen that would be fantastic.
“We had a lot of support for it this year, the amount of people in the community who got involved was really good — recognition of the event is starting to kick in and I was really pleased to see a lot of households had put up lights and gotten involved this year.
“We would love to see more people get involved in the years to come.
“Chris Bettles took time off work to help decorate the town with his daughter Margot, I reckon between them they put up two thirds of the decorations which was wonderful.”
The lights will remain on display until Saturday, January 7 next year, with TAI encouraging residents from the district to go for a drive and check them out.