Lions Club prepares for biggest ever Christmas Wonderland after community support

Toowoomba's Christmas Wonderland has transformed into its largest version ever, proving community spirit can make the impossible possible through volunteer dedication.

( From left ) Alex Griffiths, Brett Martin and Desley Diamond. Christmas Wonderland at the Botanical Gardens, Queens Park. Picture: Nev Madsen. Saturday 7th Dec, 2019

Christmas Wonderland has prepared for their 16th year at Toowoomba’s Botanic Garden, with this year’s event set to be bigger and better than ever.

The annual event, hosted and prepared by the Lions Club at Toowoomba West, has doubled the area, increased entertainment for families and brought in a new design team.

Member of the Lions Club and project chairman Marshall Cox said they’ve had a great response this year, with 40 volunteers a night to help run the event.

“Without volunteers it just wouldn’t happen, I mean it would happen but there wouldn’t be free ice cream, popcorn, face-painting, tea and coffee,” Mr Cox.

Marshall Cox at Toowoomba Botanic Gardens

Mr Cox said they ask patrons for a gold coin donation for the event to go back to the community.

“We just distribute the funds through the hospital foundation, Lifeline and the hospice,” he said.

Marshall said he had been the operational manager of Christmas Wonderland since day one and had seen highs and lows over the years.

“Covid had knocked us around a fair bit, it was only last year that the numbers started to creep up towards pre-Covid,” he said.

“The generosity of the community hasn’t changed, the Toowoomba community is very generous and very responsive to a need.”

He said the Toowoomba community had really stepped up to help after they requested support from the local business community and made the impossible possible.

“We had a fantastic response from RDO, Toowoomba Toyota, Hastings Deering, Hutchinsons Builders and the Industry School,” he said.

“Next year we’re going to expand that initiative and see if we can get a little bit more support just to ease the burden on our older guys.”

Christmas Wonderland at Toowoomba Botanic Gardens

Mr Cox said the event got a new design team with a new layout but a lot of the old favourites would make a return in a new presentation.

“Come along, support the event and by doing that you’re supporting the community.”

Christmas Wonderland opens to the public on Saturday and will run through to Christmas Eve.

At Toowoomba's Christmas Wonderland are (from left) Nathan Moffitt, Gracie Moffitt and Niamh Jennings in Queens Park, Saturday, December 7, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

( From left ) Ali, Arham, Farina and Hamza Kashif. Christmas Wonderland at the Botanical Gardens, Queens Park. Picture: Nev Madsen. Saturday 7th Dec, 2019

Originally published as Lions Club prepares for biggest ever Christmas Wonderland after community support