Pageant Facts and Trivia
Did you know?
> The theme for the 2011 event is "celebrate the clown within".
> In 2011 the pageant will be travelling a slightly different route along Flinders Street due to the construction along Grenfell Street, so please be sure to study the route map carefully.
> There are more than 250 clowns in the pageant.
> The route is 3.3 km long – when Father Christmas enters King William Street from South Terrace, the first set is well past the Magic Cave at David Jones on North Terrace. For about 10 minutes, the Pageant takes over the whole of King William Street from South Terrace to Victoria Square and Flinders Street to North Terrace.
> The parade starts at South Terrace heading North to Victoria Square where it turns right and heads east on Wakefield Street to Pulteney Street. It then turns left heading north to Flinders Street, before going left again heading west to King William Street. From there it travels north to North Terrace before turning right heading east on North Terrace.
> In 2011, there will be 6 new floats including one mini float. Keep your eye out for them! All the new floats are listed on the pageant program which will be distributed before the event and is posted on the pageant website and iPhone app.
> Over 120 talented artists are set to apply make-up to more than 1000 characters between 6.30am and 9am on Pageant Day.
> Allianz Insurance will provide over 1800 breakfasts to pageant characters and volunteers on pageant day.
> It takes 15 trucks to transport costumes, shapes, heads, bikes and props to Pulteney Grammar, the starting point, the day before the pageant.
> It takes over 240 boxes of tissues and 70 jars of make-up remover to remove characters’ make-up each year.
> In 2011 the pageant will be travelling a slightly different route along Flinders Street due to the construction along Grenfell Street, so please be sure to study the route map carefully.
> The first pageant in 1933 had eight floats and four bands. The 2011 Credit Union Christmas Pageant will have 63 floats and 15 bands plus nine walking sets, 10 dance groups, one DJ and three choirs.
> 1200 litres of petrol is used on pageant day and 165 batteries are loaned from Exide Batteries to operate the mechanical features and sounds of floats.
> From the week after the pageant until Christmas Eve, well over 3000 pieces of costume are washed, ironed and placed in plastic bags for storage ready for the next year.
> More than 50 litres of washing liquid, 18 cans of starch, six bottles of bleach and 400 litres of distilled water is used to clean the costumes each year.
> Costume fittings are held over an 8-week period. Costumes are transported to credit union offices during this period. On fitting days, wardrobe staff fit one costume every five minutes.
> Rehearsals for all the characters in the pageant are held over five weeks in the lead-up to the big day.
> In 2010, the Credit Union Christmas Pageant had 3904 volunteers working hard to ensure that everyone had a fun and happy day.
> In 2010 the Credit Union Christmas pageant broke the Guinness World Record for the Largest Group of Carol Singers.
> The 2011 event will be attempting a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people wearing red noses.
> In 2012, the Credit Union Christmas Pageant will celebrate 80 years in South Australia.
> 1200 litres of petrol is used on pageant day and 165 batteries are loaned from Exide Batteries to operate the mechanical features and sounds of floats.