After six years, Council has made the decision to retire the Christmas in July event this year. While it's been a great way to bring the community together during winter, declining attendance and rising costs have made it increasingly difficult to justify.
The 2024 event cost over $35,000 to deliver, with minimal economic benefit to the local region. Most vendors were from outside the local government area, and as a self-contained retail and food event, it generated little additional spending in the Queanbeyan CBD.
With growing costs across all events – including traffic control, security, staffing, and waste management – Council has made the difficult decision to redirect this funding to support the delivery of our broader events program.
While the Council-run event won't proceed, there are still festive winter markets to enjoy. The Queanbeyan Markets: Christmas in July will be held on Sunday 20 July, and the Bungendore Christmas in July Market takes place the day before on Saturday 19 July.
