Christmas in the Villages: Surry Hills, Redfern and Newtown
Skip the chaos of the CBD and get your Christmas shopping done in relaxed style.
Overview
This year the CBD isn’t the only place where you can indulge in seasonal shenanigans. On December 13 and 14, twelve of the city’s villages will get their Christmas spirit on, with free drinks, free food, roving performers, in-store events, seriously discounted gifts and visits from Santa. More than 200 retail outlets are getting on the sleigh.
If you’re in Surry Hills, Redfern or Newtown, you’d best prepare yourself for free beverages, sweet treats and some epic bargains. Those who venture into fun wallpaper shop Wall Candy or unique collective space O’Connell St Merchants will be treated to complimentary sparkling wine, while Special Lights will be handing out Christmas goodie bags to the first ten visitors each day. If that’s not refreshment enough, try two-for-one fish and chips at the Crown Street Fish Shop, free coffee and $4.99 French cider tastings at A Touch of France, and Flour and Stone goodies at Yoshi Jones’ Storio.
In addition, loads of stores are selling stock at reduced prices and/or handing out presents with a minimum spend. Old-fashioned bicycle restorers Stallion Bikes will reward every $100 with a gift, quirky curators Starnam are taking 30 percent off everything, Artsite Gallery is running a prize draw, Cream on King and Cream on Crown will give you a free pair of new sunnies for every $50 you spend on upcycled and vintage clothing, and Stacks of Wax is inviting you to make your own candle.
There’s also a villages-wide Instagram comp going on, which might see you jetting off to some long dreamt-of destination. Simply take a shot of your favourite shop window and tag it #sydxmas #bestwindow, for a chance to win a $2,000 QANTAS travel voucher. The business responsible for the most-tagged window will score $5,000 worth of adventures with Red Balloon. Both prizes are courtesy of American Express.
And these are just the tip of the iceberg. Find out more about the City of Sydney’s Christmas in the Villages at their website.
