Arrangements are progressing well for this year’s Christmas Eve festival.

Once again there will be a range of activities for everyone with market stalls and displays, jumping castles and a merry-go-round for younger children, a bucking bull for the older ones and a dunking machine.

A highlight of the night will be a family circus stunt show and of course Santa will visit town at 7.30pm as usual.

Another highlight of the night will be the fireworks, which will commence after dark at Forest Park.

Other attractions are still to be confirmed with a program including event times to be published in the Snowy River Mail the week prior to Christmas and regular postings on the festival’s Facebook page.

Buskers are welcome and should contact one of the committee members.

The festival committee welcomes any financial support from members of the community towards the night with donation boxes at a number of businesses in town.

The Christmas tree in Tara Street will be decorated this week as will Nicholson Street. The best decorated houses around the district will be judged in the week prior to Christmas and a map will be published in the Snowy River Mail during that week. To assist in identifying all decorated houses the committee requests addresses are registered with the Snowy River Mail or via a post on the Facebook page.

The Orbost Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s lucky shopper competition is operating in the town again this year. To be in the draw all you need to do is spend more than $20 at a participating business in town and fill out an entry form. There will be $100 draws each Friday leading up to Christmas with the major draws of $500, $200 and $100 to take place at the festival.

Anyone with queries about the festival should contact one of the organising committee members from Rotary Club of Orbost (Peter van den Oever and Kathy Gupta), or Chamber of Commerce (Susan Hooper, Tracey Barnett, Garry Squires, Jane Crofts, Tric Christy, Kerry Oatley and Sammi Reynolds).