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Christmas in July

Christmas in July in Sydney and Yulefest in the Blue Mountains

Christmas in July in Sydney

The idea for "Christmas in July" supposedly came from the Blue Mountains. European visitors who were missing winter back home. From this sentiment came a string of hotels and restaurants all rushing around to recreate a Christmas that Europeans would recognise and savour. Whether this works as a good substitute is hard to say but it has certainly become popular with hoteliers and traders in the Blue Mountains and has spread its way down to Sydney. So we say Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas everybody! and a happy new ???

Christmas is over in Waverly and Balmain, but lives on Sydney Harbour, Bondi and Darlinghurst.

In 2010, Christmas came early in Balmain with numerous fun activities but, unfortunately, Christmas appears to cancelled this year (in Balmain at least). Christmas is a time to be jolly so lets not despair, last year, the retailers in Waverley at Charing Cross got organised and it was a Waverley Christmas! (in July) it doesn't look like they intend repeating the experience this year. Christmas is hanging on in Bondi and on Sydney Harbour and Oxford Street in Darlinghurst. Support your right to Christmas in July or it may retreat back up the Blue Mountains from whence it came.

Christmas in July on Sydney Harbour - [to be confirmed]

The magic of a July Christmas is brought afloat with four hours of cruising on gorgeous Sydney Harbour compete with Christmas bonbons and decorations to set the mood.

Whilst admiring the view tuck into a delicious Christmas themed buffet including hot roast beef, tender chicken, pastas and tasty salads. This is all followed by coffee, tea and desserts (yes, there'll be plenty of Christmas pudding and custard for all!).

Christmas Entertainment

On the entertainment front there's an explosive Brazilian floor show (with audience participation!) and a dance floor full of happy dancers having enjoyed the reasonably priced drinks from the fully licensed bar. If that's not enough there will be prizes to be won and giveaways to be given.

El’Circo Blanc Christmas in July - Slide, 41 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst - Every Wednesday in July

Circo is Circus in Spanish, but don't worry about that, it's all Europe now so the show is a Russian Winter fairytale with the flavour of Parisian cabaret. Added to that, you can look forward to 'aerial acts, illusion and soaring vocal prowess'. “An average night out this is not” to quote the SMH. You also get a nice feed which will presumably continue on the European theme so an English style Christmas Dinner would kind of work, or maybe not.

World Record Santa Attempt - Put On Ice - Bondi - To be confirmed

It may feel like all your Christmases have come at once if you venture down to Bondi Beach on Wednesday 11th July. You can even join in if you wish, it's for a good cause [it's for the Variety Children's Charity] and everyone will be dressed up like Santa Claus so it should be a very jolly occasion. In addition, there will be theatre on ice with an icy Christmassy performance and, of course, Santa Claus will be there, lots of them.

Christmas in July in the Blue Mountains

Christmas in July? In the Blue Mountains it's Christmas everyday! well every day from June..more likely July to August. Up here it's known as 'Yulefest' and it's the second best reason to visit the Blue Mountains (after the mountains themselves of course).

If you've never experienced a Blue Mountains 'Yulefest' then you're in for a Christmas treat. Many of the region's guesthouses, hotels, motels, resorts and restaurants provide all the treats, and trappings, of a traditional northern hemisphere Christmas. We are talking turkey here folks along with ham and chicken and stuffing and the cranberry sauce and the Christmas pudding. This is an enlarging experience.

All this food is accompanied by live entertainment, from carols around the piano, to live shows, group dancing and bush bands. Oddly perhaps, but Yulefest appears to be mostly aimed at adults. This may change over time of course, (we give it about five months :) but if you were thinking of taking your kids up the mountains to meet Santa like we were, well, you might want to reconsider.

Blue Mountains Kangaroos

(hey! it's my turn to pull the sleigh!)

Reindeer can be a little hard to find in Australia, even in the Blue Mountains, but kangaroos are a close approximation in a bouncy kind of way.

Blue Mountains Heritage listed National Park

You will strike out into the Blue Mountains Heritage listed National Park wilderness and its amazing 'High Country'. During your adventure you will experience this gorgeous place close up and personal. The scenery will only be surpassed by the feeling of wonder, what an amazing place, all we need now is a sighting of some truly wild kangaroos...

Kangaroos in the Blue Mountains

For more top things to do in the Blue Mountains