Community meeting called to save Christmas on Broadway

UPDATE OCTOBER 15: ORGANISERS of Junee’s flagship festive celebration, Christmas on Broadway, have called a special community meeting in a last-ditch effort to save the event.

The public meeting will be held at 5:30pm on Thursday, October 16, at the Junee Ex-Services Memorial Club, with all residents interested in keeping the beloved event alive urged to attend.

The move follows confirmation this week that this year’s event — scheduled for Saturday, November 22 — will be Christmas on Broadway’s last, due to a dwindling organising committee and increasing pressure behind the scenes.

President of Junee Business and Trades, Tony Butt, said the event can only continue if new volunteers come forward to help shoulder the planning and preparation.

“The support from the community has always been incredible on the night, but what we really need is a strong committee behind the scenes,” Mr Butt said.

Junee Business and Trades President, Tony Butt, speaking at Christmas on Broadway in 2024 | Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

The event is free to attend and enjoys the generous backing of local sponsors and businesses — but without a team to organise it, Mr Butt says it simply cannot survive.

The news has sparked a wave of emotion across the community, with many residents expressing sadness — and a willingness to help.

“It’s such a shame that this year is possibly the last for so many of the community’s events,” said Jack Hughes.

“First the Illabo Show, and now Christmas on Broadway. People need to step up and help.”

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

“It’s such a shame that things have to end because no one wants to do the heavy work,” added Pat Clarke.

“Christmas on Broadway has to keep going. It’s good for the town and the kids. I’ll put my hand up to join the committee — not a problem,” said Sami Abboud.

Anyone interested in joining the committee or helping in any capacity is encouraged to attend Thursday’s meeting or contact Junee Business and Trades directly via email at juneebusinessandtrades@gmail.com, or phone 0418 577 400 for more details.

OCTOBER 14: IN a major blow to Junee’s festive calendar, organisers of the town’s premier Christmas celebration, Christmas on Broadway, have confirmed that this year’s event will be its last, citing a dwindling committee and mounting pressure behind the scenes.

Hosted by Junee Business and Trades (JBT), the popular event will celebrate its eleventh and final year this November.

Born from the ashes of Junee’s former Christmas Revels, Christmas on Broadway has become the centrepiece of the town’s festive season, drawing bumper crowds for food stalls, live entertainment, family fun, and the much-anticipated lighting of the town’s Christmas tree.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Last year’s event was hailed the biggest yet, with hundreds of locals and visitors filling the street to enjoy bustling market stalls, festive performances, amusement rides, food vendors, and photos with Santa.

But with the organising committee now down to just four members, JBT President Tony Butt says the workload has become impossible to sustain.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Speaking with The Junee Bulletin, Mr Butt confirmed this year’s Christmas on Broadway will be the last — unless a new generation of volunteers steps forward.

“Simply put, we haven’t got a committee to keep it going,” Mr Butt said.

“It’s down to myself and three others, and everyone else who once helped has retired or moved on. It’s simply too much work for such a small group to manage.”

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

2024 Christmas on Broadway was hailed the biggest yet | Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

While many locals are willing to lend a hand on the day, Mr Butt said the real challenge lies in the months of preparation behind the scenes.

“We can always get people to help out on the night, but it’s the organising and heavy lifting in the lead-up where we really need support,” he said.

“Without a committee, there’s no event.”

The event is entirely free to attend, with no entry fee at the gate, and is made possible each year through the generous support of dozens of local businesses and sponsors.

What’s now urgently needed, organisers say, is a strong committee to bring it all together.

Mr Butt has shouldered much of that load himself over the years, not only managing the set-up and pack-down, but also installing the town’s Christmas tree free of charge each year.

“That tree, which belongs to Council, has always been the heart of the celebration,” he said. “When it lights up, that’s the moment Christmas in Junee really begins.”

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Although this year’s event is being billed as the last, Mr Butt said there is still a chance the tradition could live on — if new people are willing to take the reins.

“We need some younger blood to step up. I’d be more than happy to keep doing my part if a new team came on board,” he said.

“Christmas on Broadway has given Junee 10 wonderful years of community spirit and pride. I’d love to see it go on, but it won’t happen without more people involved.”

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

This year’s Christmas on Broadway will go ahead — for what is currently expected to be the final time — on Saturday, November 22.

Just like years gone by, the event will feature kids entertainment, market stalls, food vendors, live performances and, of course, the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree.

Sign of the times

News of the final Christmas on Broadway comes as another cherished tradition prepares to say farewell, with the curtain also falling on the Illabo Show, due to a lack of volunteers.

A pillar of the Junee Shire’s rural calendar for more than a century, the 103rd and final Illabo Show as we know it was held on Saturday, October 11, bringing to a close a legacy that began in 1913 in a local farmer’s paddock.

Organisers say the decision to end the show in its current form was not made lightly, but reflects the practical realities of running a major show with a shrinking volunteer base.

READ MORE: Illabo Show to end after 103 years