Loxton community pays tribute to ‘Mr Christmas’ Peter Mangelsdorf, founder of Christmas Wonderland

For more than 40 years, Peter Mangelsdorf brought festive joy to the Riverland community.

The Loxton community has paid tribute to Peter Mangelsdorf, affectionately known as ‘Mr Christmas’.

The close-knit Loxton community has promised to keep the lights on for its beloved “Mr Christmas”, whose infectious festive spirit spanned nearly 40 years in the region.

Peter Mangelsdorf, founder of the region’s iconic Christmas Wonderland, died in Loxton Hospital on Tuesday, aged 69, just days before his lights display was due to switch on.

A former fruit farmer, Mr Mangelsdorf first installed a mini Christmas display featuring a wooden reindeer and sleigh in the front yard of his Fairweather Ave home in 1984.

With the help of the community, his festive passion evolved into Christmas Wonderland – an illuminated display that stretched the 250m frontage of his property and could be seen from kilometres away.

Among the display were 10 Where’s Wally figurines for visitors to discover and a variety of Christmas scenes, from Bethlehem to cartoon characters.

In recent years, Mr Mangelsdorf was chairman of the Loxton Lights Committee, which co-ordinates and plans a majority of the region’s many Christmas displays.

Peter Mangelsdorf in his Christmas workshop in 2017. Picture: Dylan Coker

In March this year, the community worked to relocate Christmas Wonderland to the Loxton North Sports Club, promising to keep Mr Mangelsdorf’s legacy alive as he stepped away from the event.

Event organiser Michelle Hill said, despite Mr Mangelsdorf’s recent ill health, they had kept him updated with the progress of the move by sending photos and videos to his hospital bed.

“When he knew he wasn’t able to keep going with the display, he wanted us to keep it going,” Ms Hill said.

“When he passed away we thought there are two ways of doing this; we put the flags at half mast and don’t turn the lights on, or we make sure Peter’s passion lives on and switch them on.

“His wife Julie and family gave us his blessing to make sure the event went ahead, so we could continue to deliver the message that he has delivered for 37 years to the people of the Riverland.”

Hundreds have paid tribute to Mr Mangelsdorf since news of his death, thanking him for the “amazing memories” and remembering him as a gentle, kind and selfless member of the community.

“My mum still refers to him as ‘Mr Christmas’,” one person wrote.

Peter Mangelsdorf with Christmas lights in his shed.

“I am proud this tradition will continue in his memory and that a new band of Merry ‘Elves’ can continue the work he started so many years ago.

“We will continue to make him proud and ensure that the amazing work which he started lives on.”

In 2017, Mr Mangelsdorf said he never thought his passion for Christmas would evolve into one of Loxton’s most beloved traditions.

“I guess ‘wow’ is the biggest word I hear people say the most. They don’t expect it to be this big,” Mr Mangelsdorf said.

“They have heard about Christmas Wonderland and think it is just a house lit up with lights, and when they start heading out my way they can see it in the distance and it looks like another township.”