Festive Fun: The Best Things to Do This Christmas in Hobart

We love the festive season. The stores are playing non-stop carols, streets are decked out with Christmas wreaths, baubles and towering trees, and come nightfall, suburban streets transform into twinkling wonderlands with thousands of lights bringing magic to December.

Beyond the decorations and gift shopping, Hobart and surrounding areas embrace the fun of this joyful season, hosting markets, parties and activations for all to enjoy. To make the most of the most wonderful time of year, we’ve rounded up the best things to do this Christmas in Hobart and beyond!

Christmas Carols

Supplying a hefty dose of Christmas spirit, a night of carols would be enough to make any Grinch smile, and several events are happening across Hobart.

Hosted by 7HOFM and John X Presents, Variety’s Carols by Candlelight will take place on December 21st in Tolosa Park in Glenorchy. A new venue for 2024, bring a picnic rug and nibbles, sit back and enjoy an evening of guest stars from radio and TV as they sing the Christmas songs we love.

Beyond that, a string of community carols are run by the City of Hobart, including Carols in the Park at Soundy Park, Carols at John Turnball Oval and Carols on the Hill at Guildford Young College Oval, all hosted on December 7th. 

For a comprehensive list of community carols, click here

Send a Letter to Santa

An activity the kids adore every festive season, a magical red letterbox is set up in Elizabeth Mall, taking letters to Santa from Tassie kids to the North Pole. All you need to do to ensure Santa receives your little one’s letter is find the box (next to the information booth), add their name, address and wishlist and send it off to:

Santa Claus, The North Pole, 9999

Be sure to include an address so Santa knows where to send a letter back!

Elizabeth Mall, drop letters by December 16th 

Joy Drive 2024

Give back to the Tasmanian families doing it tough this Christmas with a donation to the annual Joy Drive in 2024. Thanks to generous Tasmanians and the hard work of Hobart City Mission, families will receive food vouchers, hampers, and gifts to brighten their festive season. These small gestures can mean the world, from fresh socks and toiletries to toys that spark joy.

While toy or food drive registration is now closed, Hobart City Mission hosts events and drives throughout December, including 5 Days to Make a Difference, running until December 6th.

Donate to the Christmas appeal.

13 Main Road, Moonah

Doggy Christmas Party at Wobbly Boot

Do you have a doggo that deserves to be spoiled this Christmas? Treat yourself and your four-legged best bud to an afternoon of delicious food, raffles, live music and prizes for the best-dressed dog at the annual Doggo Christmas Party at the proudly dog-friendly Wobby Boot Vineyard.

Now in its 10th year, this much-loved event celebrates our pooches and supports the work of Small Paws Animal Rescue. It’s a win-win!

The entry fee is a donation of a pet supply item.

December 15th, 12pm to 4pm

16 Murtons Road, Otago

See the Mawson Place Christmas Tree

One of the biggest and brightest Christmas trees can be found at Mawson Place, with magical elves constructing the towering tree in November to kick off the festivities. 

Make a day of it on December 7th with Roll on Santa, with all welcome to enjoy a Christmas disco around the tree. Bring your skates, skateboards, prams or yourself dressed in a Santa hat and enjoy the magical atmosphere, with a giant conga line along the foreshore, coffee and ice cream vans and a DJ disco!

Roll on Santa, December 7th, from 9.30am

Christmas Tree at Mawson Place, Hobart 

Find a Festive Fir

Nothing says Christmas like a real tree, and lucky for you, the Richmond Christmas Tree Farm is only 30 minutes from the heart of Hobart. You’ll need to purchase a ticket to enter the farm during December, and once you’re in, the whole family (including your furry friends) can browse the rows of trees to find the perfect pine for your home. From here, a farm helper will cut down your tree to be placed on top of the car or ute tray.

The best part? When Christmas is over, take your tree back to the farm to have it turned to mulch and given back to the land for a zero-waste, sustainable tree.

Prices start from $55 for a 4-foot tree

364 Fingerpost Road, Richmond

Hobart Twilight Market 

Live music, food vans, art and design stalls at Sandy Bay overlooking Long Beach in the twilight – does a market in Hobart get any better than this? Hobart Twilight Market is a great little stop on select Friday evenings in December for a bite to eat amid a convivial village atmosphere, lapping up the buzz of a balmy summer evening in Tassie – it’s also a great spot for some last-minute Christmas shopping!

4.30pm to 9pm, December 6th and 13th 

17 Beach Road, Lower Sandy Bay

Salamanca Market 

A stroll through this long-running market is the perfect Christmas activity, because this month, it’s a very Merry market indeed. Salamanca Market has been around for over 50 years, and in that time it’s grown to include over 300 stallholders, encompassing locally produced goods from records and woodwork stalls to Leatherwood honey and whisky producers – all of which make great gifts and stocking stuffers.

8.30am to 3.00pm, Saturdays

Salamanca Place, Hobart 

Now that you know all the best things to do this Christmas in Hobart and beyond, continue to embrace the holiday spirit with our guide to gorgeous gifting, or sit back and watch one of the best Christmas movies!

Writer

Kelly Mills

9 December 2024

A Melbourne native, Kelly has spent the past two years getting well acquainted with her new home in Adelaide—one great glass of wine and even better meal at a time. As Sitchu’s Adelaide Editor, she’s your go-to for the city’s best eats, must-attend events, and hidden gems beyond the CBD. When she’s not rounding up the best of SA, she’s likely at Pilates, exploring a new winery (for research purposes, of course), reading on her Kindle, or out on a long walk with a millennial podcast in her ears.