Visiting Dunedin’s Octagon to wait for the lighting of the Christmas tree has become a happy annual ritual for close friends Ella Kean and Ella Reid-Blair.
Ella Reid-Blair’s mother, Cathy Reid, says the two Ellas have been best friends since preschool and both looked forward to the lighting of the tree.
And Ms Reid also enjoys catching up with the other Ella’s mother, Kelly Kean.
The two families have both lived in Mosgiel in recent years.
"There’s beautiful singing [from the Fairfield School choir]", Mrs Reid said.
"It really kicks off the Christmas season. There’s lots of families with small children and just having fun."
Dunedin City Council community events co-ordinator Marilyn Anderson said several lively characters in colourful costume, including Captain America, had added a new twist to the usual tree-lighting ritual.
Onlookers young and older were showered with extra glitter from six compressed-air glitter "cannons" within the tree when the lights were switched on — up from three last year, she said.
Tomorrow, another annual favourite, the Santa Parade, heads south along George St from the Regent Rd intersection at 3pm.
