House provides Christmas cheer

Emerald Community House will host a range of events during it's "summer series."

By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM

Whether you’re after gifts, food or just some local Christmas cheer this season, look no further than the Emerald Community House.
Throughout December, the house will be running the “summer series” of markets, giving the community an opportunity to shop locally for Christmas.
Featuring unique gifts, local produce and a friendly atmosphere to catch up with friends, there is something for everyone throughout December in Emerald.
The first of the events, the Twilight Market, will be held on 5 December from 3pm-8pm in the Puffing Billy Park. Special guest Santa will be making his first appearance of the season to spread the joy of Christmas to kids of all ages.
A market and festival will be also be held at Puffing Billy Park on 13 December as part of Puffing Billy’s 60th anniversary of the “Young Sun Special.”
The Young Sun celebration will involve festivities including commemorative train rides, live stream displays and ‘behind the scenes’ tours. The festival and market held at the Emerald Town station will include live music, carnival rides and special displays.
The Emerald Christmas Market will be held on 21 December from 9am-3pm on Kilvington Drive, Emerald. The event will be bustling with market stalls offering many opportunities for a day of fun and festivity and the perfect chance to find your last minute treasures and produce.
The community market benefits the local PAVE/FunFest which runs annually every April in Emerald. For those interested in having a stall at the market, now is the time to apply to the Emerald Community House. The markets will continue into the New Year with dates confirmed for 18 January and 15 February 2015.
Enrolments are now being taken for the Bushfire Planning Workshops to be held in November. These will be very informative evenings that will aim to educate families in making a fire plan as well as discussing important information specific to the local community. The event is a must for those who are anxious about the upcoming fire season or unsure how to handle potential dangers.
Lastly, the Dig In Community Cafe will be held on Friday 28 November from 6pm at the Emerald Community House Hall. The cafe provides a meal for the community hosted by the Dig In volunteers who always cook up a storm and provide fabulous food for all to enjoy. For more information on the cafe, visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DigInCafe.
For enquiries about any of the events at Emerald Community House, contact the house directly on 5968 3881 or visit www.emeraldcommunityhouse.org.au.