The beloved Lake Hawea Christmas Wonderland will open its doors tomorrow for the sixth year in a row, and it is set to be something out of a storybook.
This year, organisers Elizabeth Horrell and Barb Mackenzie have brought to life a collection of cherished Christmas stories with a lot of help from community volunteers and just a little bit of magic.
Ms Horrell said people could expect characters from their favourite classic stories like Polar Express and Nutcracker Christmas as well as some new stories featuring for the first time like Slinky Malinki’s Christmas Crackers and A Kiwi Night Before Christmas.
She said each year the wonderland grew, with more people coming from neighbouring towns just to see the display the community put together.
This meant they had more volunteers this year and a larger support system helping them add more innovation to the wonderland.
Ms Horrell said they were able to add new displays such as the twinkle light waterfall and a wrapping factory, built with the help of the Hawea Men’s Shed.
That being said, they could not leave out the classic elements that have brought wonder to the display for over five years such as the small forest of real trees in the centre.
"Everybody loves the smell of fresh trees," Ms Horrell said.
Santa will also be making an appearance at weekends for photos and wish granting.
Each night they will also be having a scavenger hunt, where an item will be hidden for the children to be on the lookout for as they make their way through the wonderland.
The display is inside the Lake Hawea Community Centre on Myra St and will be open from December 7 and close after December 15.
The wonderland will be open from 10am to 4pm on weekends and 2pm to 5pm on weekdays.
Admission is free for children 4 and under, $2.50 for children over 4 and $10 for adults.
Tickets can be bought online or at the door.
