But the town defied the critics last night in a show of festive fun that even brought the Scrooges from their dens.

Many in attendance exclaimed they'd never seen so many people in Nambucca before.

The street was heaving with a sea of smiles, slushies and santa hats.

And if you were looking for Nambucca's real Christmas spirit, you only needed to go as far as the stage as school kids belted out tune after tune with the alacrity of North Pole elves.

After the response to this year's comeback event, there's no denying that Robyn Kennedy, the Nambucca Heads Lions, Nambucca/Valla Chamber of Commerce and the Nambucca Valley Tourism Association have an overwhelming mandate to do it all again in 2020.

Watch the Nambucca Valley Performing Arts Centre's Christmas dancers:

Nambucca's 'Destiny' is to harness a touch of Cuban flavour

Growing and creating together in Nambucca