Jack Hudson

THE Christmas feeling is still coming to Gawler, with Santa’s Workshop running in the Gawler Civic Centre in late December.

The workshop is a collaborative effort between Gawler Council and the Gawler APEX Club, engaging the Amazing Magic Entertainment Group, and will operate for four days with four sessions on each day from December 17 to 21.

The event, which is estimated to cost around $15,000, is free of charge to the public, but pre-booking will be essential.

Gawler Mayor Karen Redman said the addition of Santa’s workshop this year is a great outcome following a COVID-19 hit year.

“Santa’s cave has come out of a terrible year that COVID-19 brought us,” she said.

“Following the cancellation of our much-loved carols event, we all got together and brainstormed and thought ‘what could we do?’ and collectively we’ve come up with Santa’s Workshop and Santa’s cave.

“I think it’s a brilliant outcome for something that was quite sad.”

While the usual annual Gawler Christmas Carols has been axed, Ms Redman said Gawler was eager to keep a Christmas feel alive for the region’s children.

“I think this is a completely different concept that families are going to embrace,” she said.

“I certainly would if my children were still little and my grandson will love it.

“It is about bringing in the Christmas spirit, which isn’t just about presents and seeing Santa, it’s about caring, sharing and looking out for each other.

“We’re really looking forward to it, I think people will love it and the Christmas spirit will be alive in Gawler.”

COVID-19 will still have some impact on the Santa’s workshop event, according to Ms Redman.

“It’ll be a COVID-19 safe activity, you won’t be able to sit on Santa’s knee and I think a lot of kids will think that’s okay,” she said.

“All of us have behaved ourselves beautifully, followed instruction implicitly, there’ll be a COVID-safe plan and hand sanitiser it’ll be a safe event.”