This Christmas, the Glen Innes Highlands will shimmer like never before. Streets, shopfronts, and historic spaces will glow with light, creativity, and the collective imagination and shared experiences of the community as Christmas in the Highlands – Behind Every Window: A Story Told Through Light transforms the CBD into a living gallery of art, light, story, music and celebration.
WORDS Lauren Mackley
The 2025 Christmas in the Highlands is an ambitious and heartfelt collaboration between artists, schools, businesses and local groups, proudly funded by the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program, in association with Glen Innes Severn Council, and presented by project partners Arts Northwest and LM vs ML Consultancy. Across four months of workshops, mentorships, and creative activations, makers from all walks of life have contributed to an event that captures the spirit of Glen Innes – resilient, artistic, and deeply connected to place.
“This is more than a Christmas event – it’s about telling our story through light, creativity, and collaboration,” says organiser Lauren Mackley. “Every artwork, every projection, every handmade piece reflects the community’s voice.”
This year, Christmas in the Highlands – Behind Every Window: A Story Told Through Light reimagines the town not as a place to stand still, but as a canvas – a constellation of human warmth mapped across the streets.
“Behind every window, a story unfolds,” adds Lauren. “Beneath the stars, art comes alive through immersive installations, interactive workshops, live music, and roaming processions – a constellation of creativity shaped by the hands and hearts of the community. This is Glen Innes dreaming itself into being.”
Art that brings us together
In the lead-up to the November finale, the creative energy of Glen Innes has been buzzing. Workshops have given locals the chance to explore new skills and ancient traditions while shaping the artworks that will illuminate the town. Ceramic artist Gavin Nash has led pottery workshops where participants created delicate luminaries – hand-carved clay vessels that will glow in shopfront windows and along pathways.
Ngarrabul artist Waabii, Adele Chapman Burgess, guided the Woven in Light workshops, teaching the art of traditional weaving. Participants crafted unique lampshades that not only radiate soft light, but also carry threads of belonging and cultural story. Newcomer Navina Honey guided the paper lantern making workshops at Desert Moon Creative Space, where participants crafted delicate paper lanterns destined for the evening procession – a gentle reminder that art is not only something we see, but something we create, together. Armidale-based mural artist James O’Hanlon worked with young people to create small scale murals that will roam the CBD – vibrant, contemporary works full of movement and pride.
Meanwhile, The Youth Booth facilitated workshops for Glowin’ Up Umbrellas, transforming everyday objects into illuminated sculptures that will hang from trees and line the streets, glowing with youthful energy. The results are luminous – a tapestry of handcrafted works that shimmer from shopfronts, awnings, and unexpected corners, each one a small act of illumination. Together, these workshops in clay, fibre, paint, projection, and light form a living network of creativity that breathes new life into the Glen Innes CBD. From pottery lanterns glowing in windows to woven lampshades casting soft patterns onto pavement, every piece contributes to a choreography of light and story. Youth-led murals spill colour across walls, paper lanterns drift through the streets in gentle procession, revealing moments of community magic. As day fades to night, the town becomes a gallery without walls – a place where the collective imagination of Glen Innes gathers, radiates, and transforms. Here, art does not sit still; it dances, hums, and glows, carrying the warmth of a community illuminated from within.
Stories told through light
The main street will be transformed into a river of light, thanks to the generosity and community spirit of Mr and Mrs Hill, whose dazzling display has become a cherished local tradition. At the heart of it all, the annual lighting of the Christmas tree will bathe the town square in golden warmth – the perfect moment for photographs, laughter, and togetherness.
A highlight of this year’s event will be the breathtaking projection series by Real Art Works Inc., a Northern NSW-based post-disability arts organisation celebrated for their inclusive and poetic large-scale installations. Known for transforming everyday spaces into realms of wonder, an astonishing suite of projections – part installation, part dreamscape – that capture the town’s layered stories and spirit.
Their series of illuminated vignettes has been developed with local creatives exploring local stories, landscapes, and constellations through a mix of light, sound, and movement – ultimately building technical and conceptual skills in projection, installation, and inclusive storytelling. Across weeks of hands-on workshops and creative dialogue, these emerging artists have learned to see light not just as a tool, but as a way of thinking – of connecting technology, imagination, and community. Their collective discoveries will converge in the final event, where mentorship becomes legacy, and learning itself becomes luminous. Among the highlights you’ll discover:
- Wish Upon a Star, a celestial constellation of community portraits and festive hope;
- Water Words of Hope and Pathways, poetic fragments of text rippling like liquid light;
- The Truth Telling Tree: An installation sharing First Nations stories from the local Glen Innes Ngarabul community;
- A cattle truck transformed into a moving galaxy of astro-photography, connecting rural rhythm with cosmic wonder;
- The arches of King George Oval, recast as a shimmering homage to the Standing Stones – a meeting of earth and eternity.
Their work will turn familiar Glen Innes landmarks into immersive experiences, spaces where heritage, environment, and community spirit meet.
Alongside these projections, the Bioluminescence Project will host a youth-led projection workshop intensives – transforming the Highlands Hub into a living light laboratory. Young participants will explore the hidden patterns and textures of the natural world, from the microscopic beauty of leaves and water to the shimmer of light on wings. Through digital projection, sound, and experimental video, these discoveries will be reimagined as large-scale artworks illuminating both the interior and exterior of the Hub.
Film will also play a starring role in the program. Acclaimed animator Daniel Elliot, from Visitors of Dreams, will present his enchanting short film Fly Away Home – a whimsical Christmas story told from a fly’s perspective, capturing the quintessential Australian humour, nostalgia, and heart that define the season.
Led by NESSA’s performers, a lantern procession will be hailed happening by the Archmage of Glen Innes and his trusted feas, with light cast not just on walls, but across trees, pathways, clothing, and faces. A roaming projector follows the performers, turning them into living screens that ripple and move through the crowd, carrying fragments of story, colour, and motion. Around every corner, the community encounters light in unexpected places: on the ground beneath their feet, in the branches above, the journey becomes an unfolding artwork – immersive and alive – where everyone walks within the projection itself. Guided by the soft rhythm of music and the glow of lanterns, the audience discovers a trail of local stories, illuminated by the creativity and connection that light up Grey Street and beyond.
This year, Glen Innes becomes more than a place to visit; it becomes a playground of imagination, where locals and visitors walk through art that feels alive. Each work – ephemeral, experimental, and beautifully ambitious – will ripple through the town’s evening air, a testament to energy and the future of regional art.
Highlands Harmonies: a Christmas chorus of local talent
No celebration of light would be complete without the sound of Glen Innes itself. This year’s Celebration of Light promises not only a dazzling visual spectacle, but also an evening of unforgettable music that captures the town’s heart and soul. The 2025 line-up brings together some of the region’s most talented performers, offering a soundtrack that is proudly local, deeply heartfelt, and impossible to resist.
Across the evening, audiences will experience a dynamic mix of soaring vocals, folk harmonies, and contemporary acoustic sets from Glen Innes’ own musicians and emerging artists. Each act adds its own rhythm to the night – from heartfelt originals to reimagined Christmas classics – filling the illuminated streets with warmth, laughter, and energy. Together, these performances form a living chorus of community, echoing the event’s theme of connection and belonging, and reminding us that creativity here doesn’t just shine, it sings.
The festivities begin at 3.00pm with the enchanting vocals of Rachel Jillett, whose heartfelt country melodies capture the essence of the season. She is followed by Tahleia G, bringing her vibrant, soulful energy and a touch of modern flair to the stage. Local favourite Joe continues the flow with his velvety tones and acoustic charm, setting the perfect tone for the evening ahead.
Golden Guitar-winning country icon Matt Scullion will then take to the stage, delighting the crowd with his witty, Australiana storytelling and crowd-pleasing hits full of Aussie pride. As night falls, the tempo lifts with The Chestfeeders, the local punk rockers known for their raw, high-energy anthems. Adding a bluesy edge, The Mark Howell Trio brings gritty guitar work and soulful grooves to the line-up, filling the air with rhythm and emotion.
Wrapping up the evening, Rip Van Winkle will keep spirits high with nostalgic hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s – the perfect finale to a night of light, laughter, and song. Just before the big lighting ceremony at 7:30pm, the young performers of NESSA Theatre Group will take to the stage for a special set of Christmas carols, capturing the joy and togetherness of the season.
From 3.00pm to 10.00pm, the Celebration of Light stages produced by Pink Noize will pulse with music, community, and the unmistakable sound of Glen Innes. It’s more than just a concert – it’s a celebration of creativity, connection, and the vibrant spirit that makes this town truly shine.
Discover the colour of the Grey Street stalls
Grey Street bursts to life in a colourful fiesta of creativity and connection – the beating heart of the evening’s celebrations. By twilight, the street glows with light, laughter, and the irresistible scent of local flavours drifting through the air. Stalls brim with handmade treasures from our favourite local makers – woven textiles, hand-poured candles, ceramics, jewellery, and art that capture the character of our region.
Food lovers can graze their way along the street sampling from sizzling gourmet street food to locally made pastries, small-batch brews to handmade sweets crafted with care.
Each year, Grey Street grows more vibrant, building on the energy and community spirit that make it a beloved tradition. Children giggle as they discover sweet surprises, elders share stories with stallholders, and newcomers find friendly faces in the crowd. This year adds even more sparkle, with interactive craft tables, live artist demonstrations, music drifting between stalls, and eco-conscious pop-ups celebrating creativity and sustainability.
More than a marketplace, Grey Street is a celebration of local talent, flavour, and community pride – a living tapestry woven from shared stories, handmade goods, and the simple joy of coming together under the stars. Whether you come to taste, to create, or just to soak up the atmosphere, Grey Street is where the night truly comes alive.
Lighting up the heart of the Highlands
As dusk falls on 29 November 2025, the CBD will transform. Light will pour from windows, stories will flicker on walls, and the air will hum with music, laughter, and pride. The program’s design invites people to wander – to follow the glow from one story to the next. It’s an experience that merges the handmade with the high-tech, tradition with innovation. It’s art made by the community, for the community.
“Every workshop, every light, every projection is a piece of the puzzle,” says Lauren. “Together, they create a portrait of who we are.”
This year’s Christmas in the Highlands is not just an event – it’s a testament to what happens when creativity meets collaboration. As Glen Innes shines under the stars, it will be more than illuminated,it will be united in story, spirit, and light.
On Saturday 29 November 2025, when the lights ignite, Glen Innes will not simply be lit — it will be alive. Windows will glow with clay and fibre. Walls will breathe with story and sound. People will walk through tunnels of yarn, under angels’ wings, past cattle trucks and constellations, following the pathways of light that connect them, weaving a ribbon of light that unites generations and stories.
“Art has always been how the Highlands tells its story,” adds Lauren. “This year, that story just happens to shine.”
Christmas in the Highlands – Behind Every Window: A Story Told Through Light
📅 Saturday 29 November 2025
📍 Glen Innes CBD, NSW
✨ Illuminations from dusk – featuring projections, films, handmade works, and community activations.
🎨 🎨 Supported by: Christmas in the Highlands – Illuminations is proudly funded by the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program, in association with Glen Innes Severn Council. Presented by project partners Arts Northwest, and LM vs ML Consultancy.
