More than 80 people have registered their Christmas lights display on the online map for Triple M’s Carols by the Dashboard Light this Friday.
Set to deliver Christmas cheer via radio waves, the event will feature a live broadcast with carols by local musicians and interviews with residents about their lights displays.
An impressive 85 people have already registered their Christmas lights on the map, available from Triple M’s website.
Residents can access the map, a drive to the various Christmas light locations all while enjoying the Christmas-themed entertainment on the radio.
The show will be hosted by Justin Bell and Julia Greenhalf, better known as JB and Jules.
“It is our three-hour Christmas spectacular celebrating Christmas in Bundy,” Jules said.
“We're going to have lights, we're going to have musos – we're basically going to celebrate the end of 2020 here on the radio.”
JB said Carols by the Dashboard Light was invented as a way to engage and celebrate with the community despite the COVID pandemic which had “been a pain in the backside”.
“We can basically all join each other by being on the radio station,” JB said.
“We're going to bring the entertainment to them.”
Jules said it was a great way to come together while staying COVID safe.
“And if the kids fall asleep you can just leave them and there’s no need to wake them up to carry them back to the car, they're in it,” JB added with a laugh.
Local musicians Matt Barker, Mark Lavender and Christie and Andy McLucas will be performing live in the studio.
“It's really cool because they all have their own spins on Christmas carols and bring their own personality,” Jules said.
“Christie and Andy have are a more musical theatre trained, they've got a bit of a medley that they've got of Christmas songs, a bit of a mash-up.
“Mark Lavender has got the twang, Matty Barker has got that great acoustic range.”
They said there had been a great response to the Christmas lights map which a lot of people had already been taking advantage of.
“I think a lot of people want to check out the Christmas lights, particularly at this time of year.
“And it's really amazed us how many light displays there are so early too so kind of getting people rallying behind that and registering has been awesome,” Jules said.
JB said after the difficult year that 2020 was the community was ready to celebrate Christmas.
“I think people are giving more, setting up more and getting involved more than ever,” he said.
“That's really cool.
“It's really humbling to be able to set up and come up with this stupid, crazy concept and have people get behind it.
“It means a lot.”
Friday morning is the pair’s last show but they’ll be pulling a double-shift to host Carols by the Dashboard Light.
“We want it to be as interactive as possible,” Jules said.
“So we want people to ring up and say, ‘hey, I'm at the corner of this and this, we’ve seen some amazing lights’ and have that community feel to it.
“We want the community to guide where the show goes.”
Carols by the Dashboard Light will kick off at 6pm on Friday, 18 December. Tune in to 93.1 FM to listen.
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