Planning on lining the streets of Adelaide on Saturday 10 November for a glimpse of Father Christmas? With the Credit Union Christmas Pageant only a few sleeps away, we’ve compiled some top tips for kids – big and small – with the team from the People’s Choice Credit Union to get the most out of the day.
1. Safety first
Pageant day is a day full of magic and wonder, but it’s important to be safe while having fun. Be Sun Smart. You can still get burnt even if it’s cloudy and overcast, so remember to slip, slop, seek shade and slide on some sunnies. If a wet day is forecast, pack a poncho.
More than 300,000 people gather in Adelaide’s CBD each year for the Pageant, so be sure to arrange a meeting spot with your family and friends in case you’re separated in the crowds. Visit a Credit Union Crew Car for fun wristbands for the kids and decorate them with contact phone numbers. Take a digital snap of little ones on the day, so you’ve got a record of what they’re wearing – just in case you get separated.
Our 7 year old is a wanderer, so we’ve also got her a Spacetalk watch, which has GPS, so we have a little more piece of mind. An Adelaide business created the Spacetalk phone watch for kids, so you can talk to your child or send a quick SMS, anytime. It’s a wearable mobile phone that’s always with your child.
2. Be prepared
Avoid getting stuck in traffic and hunting for a carpark by using public transport to get in and out of the city instead. Make sure you arrive nice and early to get a good spot with a great view, but wait until the roads are closed to set up.
Pack snacks and plenty of cool drinking water. Bring blankets, low folding chairs and cushions so you’re comfortable, and bring some colourful chalk to decorate the road while you wait for the starting whistle.
3. Remember the rules
The number one rule on Pageant day is to stay behind the blue Honour Line. It’s not just a Pageant tradition, it also gives performers plenty of room to do what they do best and keeps spectators safe.
Let children sit at the front, right behind the Honour Line. After all, they’re what the Pageant is really about, and bigger kids and adults will still have a great view sitting or standing behind.
If it’s a wet day, avoid using umbrellas while the Pageant is passing, so you don’t block the view of others.
4. Get with the program
There will be 172 bright and colourful sets, including floats, bands, dancers and clowns at this year’s pageant.
Download the 2017 Pageant float list and route map at cupageant.com.au to know when you’ll see all the fairy tales and fantasy floats, colourful clowns, marching bands, twirling dancers and many other characters, including Father Christmas in his beautiful sleigh at the close of the Pageant.
5. Share the memories
The television cameras won’t be the only ones capturing the memories on Pageant day! Bring your cameras or smartphones and snap away! Share photos and videos with family and friends online with the hashtag #cupageant.
6. Position, position, position
If you have little ones, you know that every hunt for a toilet is a desperate one. Make sure you’re walking distance to public toilets before you set up camp, so you know where to go when the urgent mission arrives.
It’s also handy to take note of where the coffee vendors are (for mum and dad), and the cafes and shops selling breakfast wraps etc.
7. Bring Entertainment
Depending on how long you’re there before the Pageant itself, you may need some games for the kids to play. Bringing chalk for the kids to draw on the roads is always a popular choice.
8. Have a meeting place for the kids if they get lost
It’s pretty crazy on the day, so find a visible landmark for the kids to meet you at, should they get lost.
9. Make the most of the day! Visit the Leigh Street Christmas Markets afterwards
After the pageant, grab some lunch and then head to the Leigh Street Christmas Markets which are launching on the same day. Visit from 1pm – 4pm to get your fix of unique Christmas gift ideas, food from the street retailers, and make the most of the kid’s creche!
Finally…
At 9:30am on Saturday 10 November, the whistle will blow to signal the beginning of the 2018 Credit Union Christmas Pageant – the 86th year of the Pageant!
The Pageant begins on South Terrace at the corner of King William Street, and meanders through the city to finish on North Terrace at approximately 11:40am.
To download the Float List, click here.
To download the Route Map, click here.
Enjoy the start of the festive season Adelaide!