Christmas on Broadway returns with free rides for kids

JUNEE’S biggest Christmas celebration is returning for its 12th year, with organisers pulling out all the stops to deliver an affordable afternoon of festive fun as local families grapple with soaring living costs.

Christmas on Broadway will transform the town’s main street into a festive wonderland on Saturday, November 21, with free amusement rides for children, over 60 market stalls, food trucks, showbags, live entertainment and the lighting of Junee’s Christmas tree.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Running from 4pm to 9pm, the popular twilight street party is expected to attract thousands of residents and visitors to Broadway for one of the town’s most anticipated annual events.

And while admission has traditionally been free, organisers are going a step further this year by covering the cost of children’s amusement rides, giving families another reason to celebrate.

Junee Business and Trades (JBT) chairman Tony Butt said the decision was driven by the financial pressures facing households and businesses across the community.

“The Christmas on Broadway committee is very aware of the soaring cost of living that every family and every local business is experiencing,” Mr Butt said.

“That’s why we’ve kept entry free, are keeping our BBQ costs as low as possible and are offering the amusement rides free to the kids.”

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

To help cover the cost of staging the event, the volunteer committee secured a series of community grants, including $10,000 from Junee Shire Council and $4,000 from Inland Rail.

Further grants were received from Commonwealth Bank and the Junee Ex-Services Memorial Club, while local sponsors include Hart Bros Seeds, WIN Television, Coen Cranes, Junee IGA, Junee Mitre 10, The Junee Bulletin and RE/MAX Elite.

Mr Butt said the financial support had been instrumental in keeping the celebration accessible to families.

“To do this, the committee went looking for community grants to help us cover the costs of this year’s event,” he said.

“We were fortunate enough to receive grants from Junee Shire Council, Inland Rail, Commonwealth Bank and the Junee Ex-Services Club.”

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

Five hours of festive fun

The celebrations will feature 65 market stalls, around eight food vendors and the JBT barbecue, alongside food offerings from local cafés, the United service station and Junee Ex-Services Memorial Club.

Tony Joe’s Amusements will return with jumping castles, merry-go-rounds and a surprise attraction, with all children’s rides provided free of charge.

Grab & Go Showbags will also be returning with their affordable showbags to suit most kids.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

The main stage will showcase choirs from local schools, while Rotary’s popular chocolate wheel will also return.

Entertainer Gavin Small and his dancers will headline the evening’s performances, adding to a packed program of family entertainment.

Santa and Mrs Claus are expected to arrive around 6pm, giving youngsters the chance to meet the festive visitors ahead of the night’s grand finale.

At 8.45pm, the celebrations will reach their peak when Junee’s towering Christmas tree bursts into light.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

A Christmas tradition built by locals

Standing eight metres tall and three metres wide, Junee’s iconic Christmas tree has become a centrepiece of the town’s festive identity.

The towering structure was originally designed and built more than a decade ago by Mr Butt and his team at T-Line Steel, with its custom steel frame fabricated in-house.

For more than a decade, Mr Butt has personally overseen the tree’s installation, with T-Line Steel and Coen Cranes generously contributing their time, equipment and expertise to ensure the festive centrepiece takes pride of place in Broadway each Christmas.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Although T-Line Steel closed its doors in late 2025, Mr Butt has vowed to continue donating his time to the annual installation, keeping the much-loved tradition alive with the ongoing support of Coen Cranes.

The annual installation has become a much-loved tradition in its own right, signalling the countdown to Christmas on Broadway.

Mr Butt said this year’s installation was tentatively planned for November 15 or 16, subject to final arrangements with Coen Cranes.

Once erected, the tree will remain unlit until the traditional lighting ceremony on November 21.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

A celebration saved by the community

This year’s event marks another significant chapter for Christmas on Broadway, which faced an uncertain future just 12 months ago.

In October 2025, JBT warned that the celebration could be staged for the final time after 11 years, with the organising committee reduced to just four members.

The announcement sparked an outpouring of concern and support from the community, prompting a special meeting to recruit fresh volunteers and help preserve the tradition.

The response ultimately ensured Christmas on Broadway could return for another year.

Photo: © The Junee Bulletin

Christmas on Broadway was born from the ashes of the much-loved Junee Christmas Revels, a longstanding festive tradition that brought generations of local families together before disappearing from the town’s social calendar in the 2000s.

Determined to rekindle that community spirit, Junee Business and Trades launched Christmas on Broadway in 2013, attracting fewer than 800 people to its inaugural celebration.

What began as a modest effort to bring Christmas festivities back to the heart of town has since blossomed into one of Junee’s largest and most anticipated annual events, drawing thousands of residents and visitors each November.

Now entering its 12th year, the festival continues to bring together local businesses, community organisations, volunteers and families for a celebration of everything that makes Junee special.

And with free rides, affordable food and showbags, and a packed program of entertainment, organisers are hoping this year’s event will deliver a little extra festive cheer when families need it most.

Christmas on Broadway 2026 will be held on Saturday, November 21, from 4pm to 9pm in Broadway, Junee.

Entry and children’s amusement rides are free.

Santa is expected around 6pm, with the Christmas tree lighting scheduled for 8.45pm.