Credit union Christmas Pageant: Amber Brown joins in the fun in the Adelaide City region of South Australia
About this time of year, something very special happens in a big warehouse in suburban Woodville. A who's who of colourful storybook characters slowly stir from their year-long slumber just in time for their annual get together. For 75 years, on the second Saturday in November tens of thousands of people have lined the city streets to watch one of the biggest parades in the world. And they're never disappointed.
It's lights, camera, action on one of this year's new floats as all the colour, movement and excitement of the movies is brought together in Bollywood. Dancers from the local Indian dance group, Fusion Beats, have been busy rehearsing their routine for their parade debut.
Brian Gilbertson, Pageant Director: "The tradition of the pageant is to have stories about fantasy and fun but also to have things that are representative of what's happening now. Recently, we had all those Bollywood stars come to Adelaide and film in the Rundle Mall. So we thought colour and movement, relevant to today, let's do a Bollywood float."
Twenty-two beautifully dressed dancers and a complete fantasy film crew will join the parade with a music beat that's sure to get the crowd moving. Of course, all the usual crowd favourites will be among the 57 floats, bands and 200 clowns.
The Stardust Castle has a brand new look with pretty ribbons, brighter stars and heaps of glitter. There's a new dragon in this year's parade - Flights of Fancy with Granny Flo represents the wisdom of the older generations throughout the ages. Another new offering is 'Once Upon a Storybook', which brings to life favourite fairytale characters like the Pied Piper and his energetic mice. The fox is forever chasing the gingerbread man, and that monkey still hasn't caught the pesky weasel.
The Pageant began way back in 1933 when Edward Hayward, Director of the John Martin's store wanted to inject a little Christmas spirit into the dim dark days of the Depression. More than seven decades on and it's lost none of the magic. And this year, there'll be a special bonus - an attempt to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest Mexican Wave ever…
Brian Gilbertson, Pageant Director: "We'll start the wave in South Terrace, we'll go down one side of the street which will be the western side of King William Street, it'll continue right though the pageant route to North Terrace. It'll do a u-turn at the landing stage at David Jones and it'll come all the way back on the opposite side back to South Terrace. So that will be about six kilometre, it'll travel at about 44 kilometres an hour…"
To set the record we need more than 168-thousand people to register by filling out a form and putting it in one of the bins provided on the day. With the pageant attracting more than 300-thousand people we should easily beat the record of 168-thousand set at a speedway meeting in America.
Get a registration form by logging on to: www.nws9.com.au or www.cupageant.com.au
Forms are also available in 2 November's Sunday Mail and 9 November's Advertiser.
You need to be in place behind the Blue Honour line by 8.40 to be ready for the wave at 8.45. The wave is expected to take 8 and a half minutes to go around so everyone needs to wait that long before moving. And of course, at 9.30, the parade that's captured the imagination of every little girl and boy for decades will follow. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
2008 Credit Union Christmas Pageant
9.30am Sat 8 NovPublished 2nd November 2008
