Festival of St. Nicholas

events

The Parade of St Nicholas

For the first time in Lakes Entrance, the Blessing of the Fleet will be preceded by a ‘Parade of St. Nicholas’. The Parade will feature our very own statue of St. Nicholas, which will be accompanied by young and old alike as it is carried along a designated route from the Footbridge in Lakes Entrance to the grassed area between the ‘Old Slip’ precinct and the Coastguard Depot on the Esplanade. Once there, the statue will take pride of place during the Blessing of the Fleet and ‘Smoking Ceremony’.

Local artist Josephine Jakobi has designed the statue, which will be mounted on a platform to enable it to be carried.

It is envisaged that the Lakes Entrance statue of St. Nicholas will become our own cultural icon just as other statues, which relate to particular events, have done through the years in various parts of the world.

The Blessing of the Fleet

Historically, Lakes Entrance was known as the largest fishing port in the Southern Hemisphere. The town’s connections with the sea and those who brave the elements in order to reap its harvest are well known.

In the past that time-honoured connection was regularly acknowledged by the local community with a Blessing of the Fleet. The occasion fostered an empathy and pride in an industry, which Lakes Entrance has been synonymous with for over 150 years.

This year’s Blessing of the Fleet will also include a cultural ‘Smoking Ceremony’ & ‘Welcome to Country’ conducted by local Indigenous community members.

Timetable for this Event

Meet at the New Footbridge at 11am, Saturday, December 5. There will be a "Surprise Personality" to meet and greet the children.

Please bring any Banners or Flags you would like to carry. For example, School, Sport, Community Group or Service Clubs. The Parade will walk behind a Brass Band, followed by Lakes Etrance Surf Lifesavers carrying "St Nicholas".

The Parade will move off along the footpath at 11:30, arriving at the "Old Slipway Sheds' in time for the Opening Ceremony and Blessing of the Fleet, which commences at 12 moon.

Everyone is welcome to walk in the Parade.

Sand Sculpture Installation

Centrally located on the foreshore at the "Old Slip" precinct, the sculptures will create immendse interest whilst being constructed.

The ancient art of sand sculpturing is fascinating in its creation, and the completed instillations are quite spectacular. They can withstand rain and high winds for days at a time before any minor maintenance may be required.

The sculptures will remain in position as a focal point on the Esplanade for up to 3 months over the busy Summer Tourist Season. Sand Sculpturing Workshops will be run in conjunction with the exhibits.

Feast of St. Nicholas

The Feast of St. Nicholas will be held at the Lakes Entrance Golf Club on Saturday night December 5th. This event was so popular last year the Committee has decided to increase the number of tickets available from 250 to 320.

Fully catered with a traditional Greek menu, the Feast will once again feature high quality entertainment and plenty of dancing. An exhibition of Belly-dancing will also feature. Tickets will be pre-sold on a ‘first come first served’ basis. Raffles are a feature of the evening.

Go to the Feast page for details on purchasing tickets.

Family Beach Sports Challenge and BBQ

The Family Beach-sports Challenge & BBQ will be staged on the southern side of the footbridge near the Paddleboat area. The emphasis here will be on family involvement for both young and old, where fun and energetic rivalry are the main ingredients.

The program will include old-fashioned favorites such as 3-legged races along the beach, sand-shifting races, egg & spoon & paddle-boat races. The feature event will be the inaugural ‘fish tossing’, where a perpetual trophy will be on offer.

These events are sure to involve much frivolity and good-humored encouragement from the spectators. Fun prizes will be awarded in all events, and the evening will conclude with a Sausage Sizzle.

Model Boat Regatta

Presented by the Nicholson Model Yacht Club, this event will be staged along the shores of Cunningham Arm near the Coast Guard Rooms, these amazing model boats will create a wonderful spectacle, and are expected to draw a large gallery of spectators throughout the day.

Demonstrating the maneuverability of their craft, operators will put these lovingly maintained vessels through their paces.

Various styles of craft will be on display including a model of the P.S. Curlip 11, the replica of a paddle wheel river boat, which was recently built in Orbost, and launched in the Snowy River.

Seafood Cooking Competitions

Under the co-ordination of our very own Darren Langshaw, this event will be staged on the foreshore near the Community Rotunda just east of the footbridge.

The competition will have two sections. Junior ages 12 – 17 and Open 18 & Over.

The emphasis will be on seafood and local produce, and entrants will be selected from recipes submitted prior to the event.

Go to the Cooking Competition page for details on how to enter.

Cultural and Community Art Displays

The venue for the Cultural and Community/Art displays will be the 2 buildings, which are located on the Esplanade at the old slip yard.

Incorporating educational as well as cultural and artistic content, the displays will be well situated to draw visitors.

Children’s Workshops under the direction of local artists from the Gunai-Kurni People will be conducted over the Festival weekend where under supervision, children will make and decorate their own special keepsakes.

Exhibitions of Indigenous Dance and dance workshops will be also conducted by local Koori dancers.