00:00If someone stops believing in the church, how can they get to Christmas back?
00:04Yeah, I'll be back.
00:05Thank you for the Christmas.
00:08Stop giving.
00:10Certainly, when you give, it makes you feel the same.
00:20Behind every great Christmas market is a massive community effort.
00:24All through the day, the Gold Coast's best makers and creators have been busy transforming this space.
00:30Unboxing the magic and getting the finishing touches just right.
00:33And now, the sun is down, the lights are on and the gates are open.
00:38Hi guys, today we're here to show you this year's Gold Coast Christmas markets.
00:44Now, unlike those frosty European events, our markets embrace the Aussie summer.
00:50They're usually held at twilight or at night, so we get to shop under the stars.
00:56And the biggest one, the Christmas markets GC, has actually been a fantastic tradition here for over a decade.
01:05And it's a huge event for our community.
01:08We're talking hundreds of local artisanal vendors and food sellers,
01:13making it a fantastic place to come and grab those last-minute unique gifts.
01:19So you make all these yourself?
01:22Yeah, I make them all myself.
01:23How long does it take to make something?
01:25Um, certain things only take me an hour or so, and then big things like these take me 16 hours.
01:32The mushroom is fantastic.
01:34That is really cute.
01:36Where did you learn to crochet?
01:38I self-taught.
01:39Oh, yeah.
01:40What?
01:41Yeah, I homeschooled and mum told us we had to learn a skill, so I picked crochet.
01:45So I've been doing it for about four years.
01:47How do you think we celebrate Christmas in a hot environment?
01:51You know how it's usually the traditional cold?
01:53Yeah, yeah.
01:54I think it's really spending time with family, and even in the hot, going out to the beach.
01:58You know, that's what I've always done, going to the beach, you know.
02:01And sometimes the Christmas will very feed the homeless, you know.
02:04Stuff like that.
02:05Savory options along this street.
02:07Brazilian barbecue.
02:09Wagyu Blacks.
02:11Tokyo Long Potatoes.
02:13And there's barbecues here, actually.
02:15People are having barbecues too, so you can come down, have a barbecue.
02:20Like, that's the good thing about having the Christmas markets at McIntosh Island Park,
02:25because all the normal facilities that are here at the pub are still here.
02:29Like, they do have rides here set up for the kids, like a bouncing castle and another ride down that end.
02:35But down that end, they've got the normal playground that McIntosh Island Park has,
02:41like the slides and the swings.
02:42So kids can play on those.
02:44So it's just got everything.
02:46Have you got a dog yourself?
02:48I have two.
02:49You have two.
02:50I thought you would have to have a dog yourself.
02:51Definitely a dog lover.
02:52And what sort of dog would you have?
02:54I have a multi-shih tzu called Gella, and she's just turned 12.
02:58And I have a long-haired chihuahua cross-cavion.
03:02And her name's Lola, and she's just turned 16.
03:04And what do you do for your dog then for Christmas?
03:08They've got one of these for Christmas.
03:10Oh, how cute.
03:11So, yeah, because they've tasted everything else, but not this one.
03:15Everything I drop on the floor, they get.
03:18And I don't these ones because they're in a little container.
03:22And they're turkey and cranberry, so that's a bit special for Christmas.
03:26So, nice.
03:26Hi.
03:27Hi.
03:28Hi.
03:28I'm going to get a photo.
03:37Thank you so much.
03:40I really want to take a photo.
03:54It's so beautiful wandering around here because obviously there's Christmas music playing and
04:05it's just the most beautiful vibe, absolutely beautiful.
04:24What's passionate about music for you?
04:41The way it makes you feel and it brings joy or sadness or any, it brings up any heat that
04:47people are feeling. It can take you away from whatever's going on in your life that you
04:55don't like or it can bring up something really happy and nice and it's just a really nice
05:01opening for everyone that can enjoy it.
05:05Probably the best thing I love about markets is just the unique things that you find that
05:10are handmade or sourced from different places that you wouldn't normally find in the shops
05:16and it's similar to the markets that we have, the community markets that we have up at
05:20the Esplanade. But yeah, it's just lovely and there's the scents of different like, you know,
05:26soaps, incense, just food as well. You can just sort of really absorb all the...
05:33The whole atmosphere here is just beautiful and it's all about community and now obviously
05:39this one's all about celebrating Christmas.
05:41See, this is what I mean about the special things that you can find at markets.
05:45They're just so, they're so unique, you know.
05:49Yeah, these are absolutely beautiful.
05:52They've got the Boo Boo Dolls here as well.
06:00The Boo Boo Dolls have gotten everywhere. They've even come to the Gold Coast Christmas markets.
06:19markets. The boo-boo dolls have just taken over the world people. I can't believe they're
06:27even here.
06:36If you could bottle one Christmas feeling from your childhood that you could give to customers
06:44today, what would it be? Receiving something that means a lot to you and that you can carry
06:53in your heart and throughout your childhood. Me in particular, because I always wanted to
06:58be a mum and I ended up being a family day care mum for 16 years so I helped raise a lot
07:02of children. I had the new baby alive that you used to feed and the mouth would go open
07:10and you'd have to change the nappy and the little pram and it had a special smell and that's
07:16my childhood memory.
07:22You don't have a Spiderman do you?
07:24No.
07:25Do you like Spiderman?
07:26Oh yeah, look, this one.
07:27I have one, the red Spiderman and the black Spiderman. That's actually one of the best
07:34salads in Britain.
07:36My little boy loves Spiderman. Okay, so this is fair.
07:40Are you ready?
07:41Alright, yeah.
07:42And we have a promotion. There's $6.
07:43Oh yeah.
07:44Or $2 for $10.
07:45Oh, well, I will get $2 then. That's awesome. That's, okay, so, it's got a little Spiderman
07:52dispenser.
07:53And what can I get?
07:54And what's this?
07:55I want to have one.
07:56What is that? Oh!
07:57So yeah, over there we have more like Hello Kitty and Hello Kitty friends and Barbie and...
08:02Yeah.
08:03Well, I might bring this. I think it's good.
08:07Alright, well, I'll just leave.
08:09You want me to put it in the back here?
08:10Oh, I would love that. Thank you.
08:14These are so beautiful.
08:17See, these are like, these are the things that you come to market to find.
08:22Just these handmade special things. Absolutely gorgeous.
08:28Think about all time, it's a swell time.
08:33I love the little parts. They're beautiful.
08:50Yes, I'll do these classes. I'll be about four a year, which I do donate to the Runaway Bay View Club.
09:00That is really beautiful.
09:02And do you know what View Club stands for?
09:04View.
09:05View.
09:06V-I-E-W.
09:07It stands for Voice, Interest and Education for Women.
09:11Oh, wow.
09:12And there's many View Clubs around Australia and in each suburb.
09:16They're in most cities.
09:18And we have a lot of fun.
09:21But we also raise money for the pet family.
09:24And our View Club, the Runaway Bay one, we support 16 Learning for Life students.
09:30And we raise, like we have to raise $300 a year for each.
09:34Wow.
09:35Really?
09:36And then $1,000 per inch hot school students.
09:39Wow.
09:40That is really awesome.
09:42That's really beautiful and inspiring.
09:45Yeah, good view.
09:47So another awesome thing about coming to local markets is you run into your friends.
09:52It's so good to run into you.
09:54Like it's fun.
09:55You really do.
09:56You run into a lot of people that, you know, when you come down to obviously local events,
10:01which is the strength of local events and yeah.
10:05It's about between Christmas and Christmas.
10:10The Brazilian barbecue smells are really good.
10:16And Wagyu Blacks.
10:19That looks pretty good too.
10:21The food, it sort of goes around in a circle.
10:26And they put out heaps of benches so families can come here and really have dinner here.
10:32And just enjoy the Christmas music, enjoy shopping, enjoy the entertainment.
10:37Just enjoy the vibe of being here.
10:40So, you know, obviously it's a market but it's just the best family friendly event that you can have as well.
10:47Just to come and chill out here.
10:49Do you like fruity flavors?
10:53Oh, I do like fruity flavors.
10:55Actually, my husband loves fruity flavors.
10:57I do not like fruity flavors.
10:58I do not like fruity flavors.
10:59I do not like fruity flavors.
11:00I do not like fruity flavors.
11:08Oh, isn't that beautiful.
11:10So we found a little bench here away from the main crowd.
11:14And that's what I was saying before about McIntosh Island Park.
11:17How fantastic it is that they've got the Christmas markets here.
11:21Because, look, you can always find, you know, it's large enough to find spots.
11:26Yeah.
11:27Yeah.
11:28Have you been...
11:29There's plenty of room for everybody.
11:30There is plenty of room for everybody.
11:31That's it.
11:32That's it.
11:33That's it.
11:34That's it.
11:35That's it.
11:36That's it.
11:37That's it.
11:38That's it.
11:39That's it.
11:40That's it.
11:41Yeah, she showed her with the green.
11:42I really like it.
11:43And this is the Christmas one.
11:44This is one you said it was the best.
11:45I think this is great.
11:46It does look great.
11:47Yum.
11:48Sorry, I don't understand.
11:49Oh, that is good.
11:50Oh, you really are.
11:51Oh, wow.
11:52Oh, wow.
11:53Oh, wow.
11:54Oh, wow.
11:55Oh, wow.
11:56Oh, wow.
11:57Oh, wow.
11:58Oh, wow.
11:59Oh, wow.
12:00Oh, wow.
12:01Oh, wow.
12:03Oh, wow.
12:04Oh, wow.
12:05Oh, wow.
12:06Oh, wow.
12:07Oh, wow.
12:08Oh, wow.
12:09Oh, wow.
12:10Oh, wow.
12:11Oh, wow.
12:12Oh, wow.
12:13Oh, wow.
12:14Oh, wow.
12:15Oh, wow.
12:16Oh, wow.
12:17Oh, wow.
12:18Oh, wow.
12:19Oh, wow.
12:20Oh, wow.
12:21Oh, wow.
12:22Well, I'm happy.
12:23I've got two special little gifts in my bag and these delicious treats for my family to
12:29take home to them.
12:30And look, as usual, the Gold Coast Christmas markets, they just don't disappoint.
12:34They're just such a beautiful place to come.
12:37And the same with Christmas markets all over the world.
12:40There's something special and magical about them.
12:43And also, there's something obviously special and magical about Christmas.
12:47It's that time of year when, like Santa said, it's the giving that makes it really special.
12:53And it's the connecting with our family and with our friends and just enjoying that special
12:58time together as well as connecting with your community too, which is what makes Christmas
13:05markets and the Gold Coast Christmas markets so special.
13:08It's so special.
13:09It's that community feel and connecting with the people in your community.
13:13So Merry Christmas everybody and we will see you and I'm going to bring these beautiful
13:18treats home tonight.
13:20the children.
13:21I love the thing.
13:22They're just wonderful.
13:23And the amount of children is still there.
13:25If not in Santa, they'd be Christmas.
13:26Because if they still believe in Christmas, then Christmas will exist.
13:28If not in Santa, they'd be Christmas.
13:29Because if they still believe in Christmas, then Christmas will exist.
Comments