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Speaker 1: Now we know thousands of people, including young families, are

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Speaker 1: expected to attend the third annual a Very Darwin Christmas

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Speaker 1: Pageant this Saturday from about five point thirty. It's going

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Speaker 1: to be awesome and this year's pageant is set to

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Speaker 1: shine even brighter because of the Darwin community's incredible spirit

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Speaker 1: and involvement. Now joining me on the line is Joe

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Speaker 1: Smaller Coombe, the executive director of Activate Darwin. Good morning, Joe.

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Speaker 2: Morning Katie, Morning listeners.

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Speaker 1: Joe, how are you feeling? Are you nervous, are you excited?

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Speaker 1: Are you all organized? Or all of the above?

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Speaker 2: All of the above? I think I love Christmas and

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Speaker 2: I'm so excited for this Saturday and really looking forward

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Speaker 2: to seeing everyone come on out with their big smiles

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Speaker 2: on their faces. We know everyone's been practicing their moves

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Speaker 2: and they're rehearsing and decorating, and can you tell I'm excited.

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Speaker 1: I love Christmas as well. Actually, last well who doesn't

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Speaker 1: love Christmas? But last week I reckon it was I

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Speaker 1: drove through the city and saw like all the Christmas

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Speaker 1: decorations already going up, and I was like, yes, we're

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Speaker 1: already getting organized. That's it.

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Speaker 2: That's it yet, you know, the team from City of

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Speaker 2: day On and Activate Day and I've all been out

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Speaker 2: there hanging the ball balls and putting the minds up.

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Speaker 2: Well but yeah, getting everyone ready and in the in

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Speaker 2: the spirit for at all.

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Speaker 1: I love it, Joe. Have we got record numbers of

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Speaker 1: floats and schools participating this year?

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Speaker 2: We do, so. I think we're sitting around fifty five floats.

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Speaker 2: We've got ten or eleven schools and some of the

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Speaker 2: amazing you know, dance schools and the BMX clubs, so

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Speaker 2: many amazing looking floats. I'm starting to see a few

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Speaker 2: little sneak peeks photos trickle in and I'm getting very excited.

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Speaker 1: Now, tell us exactly what route they're going to take,

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Speaker 1: because I know people listening this morning will be starting

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Speaker 1: to sort of prepare themselves for Saturday and wondering where's

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Speaker 1: the best spectator sport.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so same route as last year. So there's great

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Speaker 2: viewing spots all along Knuckeye Street, along Kavanagh Street, and

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Speaker 2: along Bennett Street. So they'll start at the Esplanade and

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Speaker 2: make their way down Knuckeye Street, through the heart of

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Speaker 2: that end of the mall and around the corner up

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Speaker 2: Cavanagh and around the corner onto Bennett Street and the

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Speaker 2: main stage at the top of the mall there near

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Speaker 2: the Christmas Tree, and then continue back down down to

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Speaker 2: Herbert Street where things finish up. So you know, lots

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Speaker 2: of different spots to get a good viewing place. The

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Speaker 2: parade itself starts at five point thirty, but there's entertainment

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Speaker 2: before that at about five o'clocks and roving entertainment, and

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Speaker 2: you know, people hopefully get themselves a good spot early

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Speaker 2: because obviously there'll be some road closures in place, so

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Speaker 2: you know, make your plan and bring your chairs and

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Speaker 2: your picnic blankets and your water bottles and hats and

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Speaker 2: get ready for a great time.

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Speaker 1: There will be plenty of fun. And Joe, I mean

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Speaker 1: what you mentioned then that there's going to be some

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Speaker 1: roving entertainment. What kind of entertainment or what else can

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Speaker 1: we sort of expect, I suppose as part of the celebrations.

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Speaker 2: So we've got all the different dancers and singing and

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Speaker 2: brass bands and all those kind of things. And then

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Speaker 2: at the end of the pageant there's some performances followed

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Speaker 2: by the lighting of the Christmas Tree. The Lord Mayor's

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Speaker 2: lighting of the Christmas Tree, which is a great way

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Speaker 2: to finish things off and then get people to head

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Speaker 2: off and enjoy some of the fabulous food and drink

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Speaker 2: that's on offer around town as well. It's a really

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Speaker 2: good way to kind of kickstart the festive spirit.

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Speaker 1: It truly is well, Joe, you've had a busy You're

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Speaker 1: always busy, but I mean the Luxe Festival. Now you're

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Speaker 1: straight into the Christmas spirit.

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Speaker 2: That's right. Yeah, it's been a busy few months for

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Speaker 2: the tag. We've at the Kait Festival, then the Luxer

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Speaker 2: Festival and now the Christmas Pageant and looking forward to

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Speaker 2: being able to put our feet up at the end

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Speaker 2: of this and catch our breath for a few moments.

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Speaker 2: But you know, we've got to get through this weekend first,

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Speaker 2: and you know we're excited for We've joined forces this

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Speaker 2: year the Activate team with the Territory Wildlife Park for

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Speaker 2: our floats, so there's some really fun things going to

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Speaker 2: happen there as well. Can you tell I just can't

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Speaker 2: stop talking about it.

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Speaker 1: Good on you, I reckon it'll be heaps of fun.

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Speaker 2: Joe.

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Speaker 1: It is lovely to speak to you as always. Thank

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Speaker 1: you so much for your time and have a wonderful

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Speaker 1: weekend you.

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Speaker 2: Too, hope to see you all there on Saturday.

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Speaker 1: Thank you, Thanks Joe,