What’s Happening in December?

Christmas Carols, free-flowing winery events, the Busselton Ironman, New Year’s Eve parties galore – too much to mention! Get ready to read on & plan an action-packed visit.

Howard Park opens its grounds for this popular annual flower & food market ‘Bubbles & Blooms’, with live music & free-flowing bubbles from an impressive sparkling wine line-up. Yelverton Protea Farm & Left Field Botanical will show off their blooms, while Norteña, Little Hands Dumplings & gelato from Mai Tardi will keep you full.

The perfect event to start the festive season, the Busselton Christmas Bazaar will include free entertainment, family fun & locally crafted Christmas shopping. The event takes place at Busselton’s cultural ArtGeo precinct. Handmade gifts will include textiles, artworks, fine art prints, essential oils, ceramics, jewellery, Christmas decorations, mosaics and more! Enjoy live music, magic tricks, face painting & printmaking.

The Yallingup Malibu Classic is WA’s premier longboarding event & marks its 37^th year in 2021. Come & witness juniors, womens, mens & team categories battle it out.

One of the biggest annual sporting events in the South West returns this month. The world-class Ironman competition has been a stalwart of the Asia Pacific triathlon scene since 2004, & cements Busselton’s reputation as the regional event capital of WA. Encompassing the iconic Busselton Jetty & pristine Geographe Bay beachfront, the contest is renowned worldwide as the place to go for a personal best, with the bike & run legs of race being some of the flattest of the global Ironman circuit.

Returning for its 15^th year at Gloucester Park at the top of town is this free & popular local Carols by Candlelight event. Margaret River Senior High School’s River Lights Choir, primary school carollers, singers from the homeschool community, the Margaret River Concert Band & the Margaret River Community Band are all on the performance line-up. Food, ice-cream, coffee & festive candles will all be for sale on the day.

With a shared passion for inspiring people to think more deeply about the food on their plates, the teams at Glenarty Road and Fervor are collaborating on an unforgettable five-course menu, matched with wines from the property.  They invite you to come and share a special Friday or Saturday evening with them.

The amphitheatre concert stage at the Busselton foreshore comes alive with Christmas carols, to a sunset backdrop of the historic jetty & waters of Geographe Bay. Run jointly by local churches, Carols by the Jetty is a free event of family fun & festive cheer.

The sophistication of the jazz lounge takes a new turn in this highly unique setting – eight metres underwater in the Indian Ocean, beneath the Busselton Jetty! The Underwater Observatory is the host venue for this Jazz Under the Jetty series, featuring star vocalist Paula Renee. Saunter around the observatory, watch the underwater world of sea life, sip on Wills Domain Wines and enjoy seafood canapes in this unforgettable evening.

Christmas carols, free music entertainment & festivities take over the centre of Dunsborough at Lions Park. Join in the Christmas spirit with family & friends at the Dunsborough Christmas Carols.

One of our favourite summer activities is back for the season, from the 17^th of December! Cape Mentelle transforms the manicured lawn grounds of its cellar door into an evening outdoor cinema. Bring a picnic rug or nab yourself a comfy Cape Mentelle bean bag and settle down for your movie of choice. Doors open from 6pm & the movies begin from 7.30pm – 8pm (sunset depending), so get there early for a glass of wine or two & some dinner en plein air. Live music performances are included on Monday nights.

The Classic Christmas Concert at Happs is performed by a piano quintet of some of Perth’s finest musicians as the sun sets behind the stunning amphitheatre. This concert will feature some beautiful and well-known selections from the standard classical repertoire and of course, a healthy dose of jazzy Christmas songs made famous by artists such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. Bring a picnic rug!

From the 20^th of December to the 26^th of January, Busselton is in a full celebratory mood when the annual festival taking over the foreshore city. 2021 marks the 57^th (!) year of the Festival of Busselton & it’s coming in with a bang & a huge programme of events. Diary entries this month include Carnival Rides set up on the foreshore daily, a Coastal BMX Jam Festival, a Slip & Slide, the Cops vs Kids Beach Cricket Match & the Busselton Trots. From 6pm – 10pm on New Year’s Eve, the Mucky Duck Bush Band will perform Aussie folk songs from Waltzing Matilda through to John Williamson classics at the Busselton Foreshore Amphitheatre, culminating in a fireworks display. See the festival website for full details: www.festivalofbusselton.com.au

Toby’s Restaurant at the Club Wyndham Dunsborough is holding Christmas Day Lunch, complete with a delicious menu by Head Chef Beau Ridgers, music, games, gifts for the kids & a complimentary glass of bubbles on arrival. (Plus, we hear Santa may make a guest appearance!).

This free event at Aravina Estate celebrates summer with live sunset music sessions, flowing craft beer & Aperol Spritzes and even helicopter joy rides! King of fresh oysters, Jerry Fraser, will be shucking by the dozen.  Coupled with outdoor tables & umbrellas on the lawn, free picnic rugs to use and a fully fenced playground all overlooking sweeping vineyard and views, there is something for the whole family.

For a relaxed entrée into the New Year’s Eve celebrations (especially if you’re an “in bed by 9pm” type) Clairault Streicker has just the thing, with casual lunch & live music from 12pm – 4pm. Soulful Perth-based singer songwriter Hannah Clare is putting on a free performance, & the vineyard kitchen will be open from 11am. Bookings are recommended.

Get your tickets for an evening of disco, pop & soul at The River! Glam Funk – Perth’s 6-piece party favourites – will bring a high-energy show of dancefloor classics to the stage, followed by DJ Cuppa T.

Bungalow Neighbourhood Social is matching its 70s coastal décor to the music at this NYE party, featuring 6-piece roots reggae band U-Nites, tropical cocktails & latin music sets by DJ Nikorma.

The decadent way to see in 2022 is at Yarri, with a five-course sit down dinner prepared by Head Chef Aaron Carr, specially paired with wine. The bar will stay open after dinner until midnight.

Circus, cabaret, music & comedy collide yet again for another Karnidale by the Lunar Circus team. This is one of the wildest events on the calendar, held over two days at a purpose-built festival site in Karridale. The set up includes four big tops, free camping & the infamous Dr Reg Bolton Cabaret Bar. Internationally acclaimed shows – & live bands playing all day – make up the schedule, with market stalls, food, workshops & more. At night, things take a risqué turn with late night cabaret & sideshow performances.