Author // Georgina Auton, Place Graceville
There was giggling children running around blissfully, stalls bursting with delicious food… and yes, there were lanterns!
On June 17 at 5pm, families packed the Graceville Netball courts for the CSCK Lantern Parade.
The big kids brought large lanterns, while toddlers clutched pint-sized ones made out of paper bags and milk cartons.
Families laughed and kids ran around as all settled in for the 6pm parade.
There were German foods for sale - gingerbread, bratwurst, soups and gluhwein - and families queued patiently to enjoy these delicious treats.
It was an amazing show of community support.
Many local businesses were there to give a helping hand with last-minute lantern parade prep or spraying kids’ hair different colours.
At 6pm, the lights were turned off and the procession wound its way around the netball courts - the lanterns brightly shining in the darkness.
Carolin Holl’s kids used to attend kindy at CSCK, and she started the lantern parade four years ago.
Carolin is German and has been living in Australia for ten years.
She wanted her children to have the experience of a lantern parade at kindy that she had when she was growing up in Germany.
The children in Germany used to parade with their kindergartens every November to mark St Martin’s Day.
Carolin chose to have the event in June because it’s cold enough to wear coats, unlike November in Australia.