SMC: Grander Sibu Christmas Festival this year

SIBU (Nov 17): The Sibu Municipal Council’s (SMC) Christmas Festival 2023 will be taking place at Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang Phase 1 from Dec 8 to 25, said Cr Simon Wee.

The event organising chairman revealed that the festival, themed ‘A Classic Christmas’, promises to be different and grander compared to previous years.

“This year’s Christmas Festival will be something different in terms of programmes and event layout,” Wee told a press conference here yesterday.

He gave the ‘Christmas Tree Decoration Contest’ as one of the examples of how the event differed from previous events.

“For this year’s Christmas Tree Contest, we are inviting only the corporate sector and churches. At the moment, we already have 12 participants. We are getting corporate bodies to join, which is synonymous with our theme: ‘A Classic Christmas’.

“We hope the corporate organisations will really ‘spend’ on tree decorations to make it grander,” he said, adding that this year’s competition will do away with the use of recyclable items, unlike previous years.

The participants are Sing Kwong Salim Sdn Bhd; Daesco Sdn Bhd; C&C Gallery; I-Concept Event Agency; JN Littleshop; Win Hotel Sdn Bhd; Kingwood Hotel; Zoo Bee; Doremart; Masland Methodist Church; Xin Fu Yuan Methodist Church; and Tian En Methodist Church.

Wee also said that contestants are given seven days starting Dec 1 to complete their tree decorations, before the lighting-up ceremony on Dec 8.

“The Christmas trees will be erected along the pavement facing Phase 2 of Dataran Tun Tuanku Bujang.”

He also listed church performances and busking, Christmas Zumba party, Christmas tree and food truck decoration contest, culinary delights and souvenir stalls, food trucks, dazzling light displays and enchanting decorations, as well as a lighting-up ceremony, as among the event’s highlights.

On the church performances and busking, he revealed it will happen at the main stage in Phase 1 from Dec 18-25.

For the Christmas Zumba party on Dec 23, Wee expects at least 500 participants.

As for culinary delights and souvenir stalls, he said there are 87 stalls where the public will be spoilt for choice.

There will also be an electric train and snow-making machine to spruce up the festive ambience, he added, along with a decorated arch and an inflatable Santa Claus, among others.

“We hope the place will be brightened up with festive decorative lights and transformed into a winter wonderland.”

SMC deputy chairman Mohammed Abdullah Izkandar Roseley and organising chairlady of the Christmas Zumba party Cr Michelle Law were among those present at the press conference.