The Lions Club of Toowoomba is behind Toowoomba’s largest Christmas lights display; they’re kicking the festive season off early, already hard at work preparing for this year’s event. Toowoomba’s Christmas Wonderland has been a staple in the region’s end of year social calendar for over 16 years, attracting people across the Darling Downs to experience the special magic of Christmas. Project Chair of Toowoomba’s Christmas Wonderland Team, Marshall Cox, said a lot of hard work goes into bringing the joy of Christmas to Toowoomba. “As soon as we pack up the lights in Queens Park we’re back at it again preparing for the next event,” he said. “We need to make sure that all the displays are in working order, put in council applications, lock in sponsors and performers, test the lights and keep making tweaks – there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make sure we bring the magic of Christmas to Toowoomba.
Cox said that despite rainy weather putting a small dent in visitor numbers in 2018, the committee is placing their Christmas wishes into a successful 2019. “Last year we were lucky that the 1st of December fell on a Saturday meaning we had a planned run of 24 consecutive nights, but storms meant we had to close the gates for one night,” he said. Cox explains that Toowoomba’s Christmas Wonderland always opens on the first Saturday of the month, this year the gates will open on Saturday 7 December and run right up until Christmas Eve. “With a shorter run of 18 nights we’re wishing for good weather,” he said. “We wouldn’t be able to run the event without volunteers and we’re always looking for new recruits to join, so make sure you check out our website for all the details.”
In 2018 the Lions Club of Toowoomba West raised $87,500. All funds raised went back into supporting vital services in the region through their major beneficiaries the Toowoomba Hospice, Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Queensland and the Toowoomba Hospital Foundation.
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