It's been a tough year for so many of us.
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Thankfully there's light at the end of 2020, with Bowra getting ready to host its 'Big Bash' - a Christmas extravaganza that's becoming bigger than Ben-Hur.
The free event on Sunday, December 20, is being driven by the Bowraville Lions Club, and is meant as a celebration of our community's resilience and recovery after weathering the storms of the past 14 months.
"It's about giving back to kids and families who have suffered through fire, flood and COVID. And it's to let them know that there are still people out there who care - no one's been forgotten," Bowra Lion Lisa Matters said.
But this is also for the whole of the Nambucca Valley - everyone's been affected by recent events.
The afternoon will kick off with a pet show at 1pm, with prizes for best dressed pets and owners; largest, smallest, and most unusual pets; best and most interesting tricks; naughtiest pet; and even one for pets that show a distinct family resemblance.
The evening will feature a Carols By Candlelight program, emceed by country music star Bobby Howson, and starring the Bluebird Allstars Disability Choir as headliners.
Families are asked to bring a blanket to sit on, and those going solo can bring their own chair to enjoy the show on a super stage at the Hennessy Tape Oval.
Plus, from 2pm there'll be big name rides including an eight-metre-high slide, showbags, petting zoo, unicorns, trackless train rides, food and drink stands, and a Christmas market which so far has attracted around 50 stallholders.
And there's word that the big man of the North Pole himself will be making a special appearance, with free santa photos on offer.
The first 500 children between the ages of three and 12 will receive a present. And the first 500 people through the gates will score a complimentary sausage sanga and can of drink.
The COVID-safe event has been made possible through successful grants, and generous donations from community organisations like the Bowraville Ex-Services Club.
And proceeds from the event will be used to begin funding for a new 4WD tanker for the Bowraville Fire and Rescue squad, which will enable our firies/medical first responders to more easily access locals in need in the far corners of our Valley, while leaving the 'big red truck' back at the station for any emergencies in town.
Anyone interested in running a stall at Bowra's Big Bash can contact Lisa on 0401 400-962.
There's no charge for stall holders, but they must have their own insurance and COVID-19 Safety Plan.
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Mel Leigh Dee
Mel is a journalist at the Guardian News and is based in Macksville.
Mel is a journalist at the Guardian News and is based in Macksville.
