General News
13 November, 2026
Festive party for children
UP to 1200 Far North Queensland children will enjoy a special day of festive fun when The Christmas Party returns to the Cairns Convention Centre on Saturday (14 November).
Event organiser Ally Young-Morgan said the free, invitation-only event welcomed children up to 12 years with disabilities and complex needs, from Port Douglas to Cardwell, the Tablelands and communities in between.
“For four hours, the focus is simple: letting kids be kids and experience the magic of Christmas,” she said.
“There will be rides, craft activities, interactive displays, entertainment and plenty of tasty Christmas treats, including ice blocks, popcorn, cupcakes and a sausage sizzle.
“And no Christmas celebration would be complete without Santa.
“A highlight is Santa’s toy room, filled with thousands of toys, where each invited child receives three carefully selected presents to take home”.
Formerly known as the Special Children’s Christmas Party, the event traces its origins to a request from the United Nations in 1979 to help celebrate the International Year of the Child.
The tradition reached North Queensland, with Townsville’s event dating from 1991 and Cairns and Mackay joining in 1993.
Since then, organisers claim more than 110,000 invitations have been issued to children across these communities, with some former attendees later returning as volunteers.
“At its heart, the party gives children and families a few hours away from therapies, procedures and treatments and the opportunity to simply enjoy Christmas, even if the celebrations come a little earlier than 25 December,” Ms Young-Morgan said.
“Each year, local charities, hospitals, community groups, schools and service providers help nominate children to attend this year’s Cairns event,” she said.
“This special event is only possible thanks to the generosity of our local sponsors and supporters, who help create lasting memories for children and families across our community.
“By purchasing sponsorship packages, local businesses help keep the event completely free for all attendees.”
Interested in supporting The Christmas Party as a sponsor? Contact 1300 115 207. Want to find out more about attending? Contact cairns@invites.sccpau.com.au
