Oberon's End of Year Spectacular lived up to its name

As Mayor Mark Kellam said "What a fantastic event and a great community effort."

Up from 15 stalls to 55 and with many of the Oberon Street shops staying open until late, it was an amazing street party for the whole of Oberon. As well as stalls selling food and a variety of interesting handcrafts and plants there was entertainment from the stage throughout the afternoon.

The music started off with Jonny Lush from the Anglican Church performing some traditional Christmas songs with his trio, performances by a drum collective, the ukelele group from U3A and the Aboriginal Dance Group from Oberon High School. The rest of the afternoon was filled with music from The Safety of Life at Sea, who are regular performers at musical events in the area.

Something that was brand new was an installation in the Malachi Gilmore Hall of a large plastic bubble with constantly changing coloured lights. This was a magnet for young children (and their parents) and the small entry charge went towards the cost of repainting the building. Lucy East from the Malachi was very pleased with the response. "It shows that the people of Oberon are prepared to contribute to bringing the Malachi back to its top condition," she said.

One stand with a special purpose was the Tigers Rugby League, who had jerseys and other memorabilia on sale to raise money for a very good cause. Long time Tigers player Anton Wetera passed away on December 9 and all the proceeds from the sales went to assist Anton's family to bring him home to New Zealand.

"A great big 'Thank you' to our entire community for supporting our merchandise stall today. We were overwhelmed with how many people came along, had a chat and grabbed a bargain or two. Your support for a cause so close to our hearts is truly appreciated" club officials said.

Both Chrissie O'Neill at Eclectopia and Anna Shaw at Kringle Cottage were pleased with the traffic generated in their stores by staying open late for the Spectacular. "A lot of people just came in to look but didn't buy anything", Shaw said. "But that doesn't matter. They know we are here now and might come back later. It's a type of advertising."

One thing that was different and appreciated from the 2022 event was that the weather stayed warm even after the sun went down. Keyboard player Kris Schubert ended the 2022 concert playing with gloves on and said "Last year when the sun went down behind the buildings the temperature must have dropped by 20 degrees." Guitarist Stephen Helman remembered playing in three layers of clothing.

Perfect weather, good entertainment, lots of things to see and buy and everyone having a great time. What's not to like about that? Oberon Council must be congratulated for organising the event and everyone is looking forward to coming back for more in 2024.

As well as thanking the Council, Columbia Aged Care must be thanked as a major sponsor of the Spectacular and the Oberon Business and Tourism Association provided the money for "Buy Local" vouchers used for raffle prizes.