It was a magical evening of carols and Christmas cheer at the Blue Lake Carols on Sunday.
Around 3000 people gathered at the Mount Gambier Rail Lands to enjoy the much-loved community event, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year.
Blue Lake Carols MC Ben Hood said he was over the moon with how everything came together on the evening.
“It was such an amazing event, to be able to see so many of our community get back together after two years of livestreaming the carols,” Mr Hood said.
“To be back in the Rail Lands with perfect weather and with our amazing line up of artists and to hear the community singing along with their favourite Christmas carols it was a real buzz, it was a really wonderful night.”
A talented line-up of local artists performed an array of Christmas carols and Mr Hood said the artists, Blue Lake Carols committee and volunteers were all delighted with how everything went.
“Everyone had a massive smile on their face the whole time they were there, there’s always a few butterflies when you are performing live but that is what we are there for, that is what we love to do,” he said.
“It was such a big family feel, everything went like clockwork for us and that is just testament to the amount of organisation the committee and the volunteers do for this event.
“Everyone is a volunteer, everyone is putting it on because they really believe that it is something that a great community like Mount Gambier should have, so everyone was just absolutely beaming before, during and after the event.”
Mr Hood said it was wonderful to bring the community back together and perform live again after two years of livestreaming the event due to COVID.
“When you are doing a livestream like we have done over the last two years we were all essentially performing to an empty Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre, you knew there were lots of people watching, but there is nothing quite like having the energy of the crowd coming back,” he said.
“To walk out on that stage and see a sea of people from our community all sitting there with their deck chairs and ready for a fantastic night of entertainment, it was so wonderful to be a part of that.”
Mr Hood said the dedicated committee and all other volunteers devoted an enormous amount of time and effort to make the event happen and thanked all the sponsors.
“Our volunteers are so passionate about Mount Gambier and their love for the community, it takes five months for the committee and the volunteers to organise and put on this event,” he said.
“They do it all off their own back because they believe so much in the carols and being able to give this event to the community to be able to enjoy and share together.
“The volunteers and the amazing business sponsors that come onboard to assist in making this happen, they are really the true heroes of the Blue Lake Carols and I am really thankful that we have got so many great volunteers right here in Mount Gambier along with our amazing artists to be able to put on an event like this.”
Mr Hood looked forward to the Blue Lake Carols next year and said he was humbled to have played a part in putting on a wonderful event for the Mount Gambier community.
“If I am lucky enough to be asked back to either perform or MC I will always put my hand up and volunteer my time to ensure the Blue Lake Carols continues,” he said.
“I know that it will be a fixture for Christmas for many years to come because we do have such a great community who supports us but also a great volunteer base that want to put it on for our community.
“If they will have me back I will be there with bells and tinsel and baubles on.”
