At a glance
- When
- Lara: Saturday 12 December, from 6:30pm. Ocean Grove: Sunday 13 December, 6:30pm to 8pm. Portarlington: Friday 18 December, 7pm to 9:30pm. Highton: Sunday 20 December, 6:30pm to 8pm (Victorian time, AEDT)
- Where
- Pirra Homestead in Lara; Ocean Grove Park; the park behind the Senior Citizens Hall in Portarlington; Highton Reserve
- Cost
- Free at all four. Ocean Grove asks for a cash donation at the gate for Feed Me Bellarine
- Food
- Food trucks at Lara, marquees with EFTPOS at Ocean Grove, a Lions Club sausage sizzle and vans at Portarlington; catering is listed at Highton
- Who it’s for
- Families who want a local carols night close to home instead of the waterfront crowd
- What to do now
- Pick your night, then bring chairs or a rug; check each organiser’s page closer to the date
- Last checked
- Saturday 31 October 2026, against the City of Greater Geelong’s event pages for each carols night
- Not yet confirmed
- Full running orders, Lara’s and Ocean Grove’s guest artists, and wet-weather plans for all four
There are four free community carols nights in Geelong’s suburbs and the Bellarine in mid-December 2026: Lara on Saturday 12 December, Ocean Grove on Sunday 13 December, Portarlington on Friday 18 December and Highton on Sunday 20 December. All four are listed by the City of Greater Geelong as supported through its 2026 Christmas Grants Program, and all four ask you to bring your own seating.
Which carols night is when?
| Date | Carols | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 12 December | Lara Carols 2026 | Pirra Homestead, 108 Winderme Road, Lara | Gates 6:30pm; carols by candlelight 8pm to about 9:30pm |
| Sunday 13 December | Ocean Grove Christmas Carols in the Park | Ocean Grove Park, 87 The Avenue, Ocean Grove | 6:30pm to 8pm |
| Friday 18 December | Portarlington Community Carols 2026 | Park behind the Senior Citizens Hall, Main Street, Portarlington | 7pm to 9:30pm |
| Sunday 20 December | Highton Carols in the Park | Highton Reserve, 200 Roslyn Road, Highton | 6:30pm to 8pm |
The big waterfront night comes first. Christmas Opening Night, with Denis Walter’s Carols by the Bay and the Floating Christmas Tree, is on Saturday 21 November. Our guide to Carols by the Bay and the tree lighting has that timetable.
What is on at Lara Carols on Saturday 12 December?
The City’s page describes a free public event on the grounds of Pirra Homestead, organised by the Combined Churches of Lara. Gates open at 6:30pm, with free kids’ activities from 6:30pm to 8pm. Live performances start at 7pm and lead up to carols by candlelight from 8pm to about 9:30pm. Food trucks, a petting zoo, face painting and games are listed.
The page says there is free off-street parking, with accessible options. It also says to pack a picnic rug, sunscreen and bug spray, and that no pets, alcohol or illicit substances are allowed. The City lists the facilities as catering, children’s activities, first aid, parking, seating, toilets and wheelchair access. Questions go to the organisers at the email address on the City’s page. The event is supported by a City community grant and by funding from Community Bank Lara District.
What is on at Ocean Grove Christmas Carols in the Park on Sunday 13 December?
The City lists this as a family event at Ocean Grove Park, from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. The page says gate entry is a cash donation, with proceeds going to Feed Me Bellarine, and the City’s cost field says free. Food and drink marquees have EFTPOS, so cash is only needed for the gate. The organisers ask you to bring your own chairs or rugs.
The facilities listed are catering, first aid, parking, toilets and wheelchair access. The page does not name performers or give a running order, so check with the organisers closer to the night.
What is on at Portarlington Community Carols on Friday 18 December?
The Portarlington carols run from 7pm to 9:30pm in the park behind the Senior Citizens Hall in Main Street. From 7pm there is a Lions Club sausage sizzle, a donut van, a coffee van and an ice-cream van. The City’s description promises community carol singing backed by the Geelong Community Band, plus “great guest artists”.
Children are invited to dress up as angels, shepherds and other characters for a live Nativity segment, and the page teases “one very special guest” without naming who. The City’s separate Christmas page lists the carols at WG Little Reserve, the same reserve that hosts the Portarlington Greek Festival, while the event page itself describes the park behind the Senior Citizens Hall. The two descriptions may refer to the same area, but check the signs on the night.
What is on at Highton Carols in the Park on Sunday 20 December?
The City says the event is on again at Highton Reserve at 6:30pm, finishing by 8pm, and is free. The entertainment includes Gabby Steel and, in the page’s words, “regular favorites the Mik Maks”. The page asks you to bring a picnic rug and chairs. Facilities listed are catering, first aid, parking, toilets and wheelchair access. The contact is the office at St John’s Highton, whose email address is on the City’s page.
Which one suits my family?
| If you want | The pages point to |
|---|---|
| Activities for small children before the carols | Lara, with free kids’ activities from 6:30pm to 8pm and a petting zoo |
| A short evening | Ocean Grove or Highton, both listed as 6:30pm to 8pm |
| The latest finish | Lara, to about 9:30pm, or Portarlington, to 9:30pm |
| Dress-up for kids | Portarlington, with the live Nativity |
| A cause attached | Ocean Grove, where gate donations go to Feed Me Bellarine |
What else is on for Christmas in Geelong?
Pasko Sa Geelong, whose name means “Christmas in Geelong”, is a free multicultural Christmas festival inspired by a Filipino Christmas. The City lists it on Sunday 29 November from 10am to 5pm at the Geelong Racing Club, 99 Breakwater Road, Breakwater, and says it returns for a fourth year after attracting more than 7,000 people in 2025. The description promises live cultural and contemporary performances, music and dancing, family entertainment, market stalls and Filipino and multicultural food. The organiser is the Filipino Australian Friendship Association of Geelong, and the City lists catering, children’s activities, first aid, parking, seating, toilets, undercover areas and wheelchair access.
The City’s Christmas page also lists The Polar Express train ride at the Bellarine Railway’s Queenscliff Station on weekends from 5 to 20 December 2026. The full list of Christmas events is on the City’s Christmas in Geelong page, and each event page links to the organiser.
Who runs these nights?
They are community events, not City-run ones. The City’s pages name the Combined Churches of Lara as organiser at Lara, with a City community grant and funding from Community Bank Lara District. At Ocean Grove the gate donation goes to Feed Me Bellarine. At Portarlington the Lions Club runs the sausage sizzle and the Geelong Community Band backs the singing. At Highton the contact is the office at St John’s Highton. All four are supported through the City’s 2026 Christmas Grants Program.
What should I check before I go?
- The City’s event page for your night, in the week before, for any change to times or venue
- Whether you need cash: Ocean Grove asks for a donation at the gate
- Your seating, since all four nights ask you to bring a chair or rug
- Wet-weather plans, which none of the four pages gives
Sources
- City of Greater Geelong: Lara Carols 2026 (read 31 October 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong: Ocean Grove Christmas Carols in the Park (read 31 October 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong: Portarlington Community Carols 2026 (read 31 October 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong: Highton Carols in the Park (read 31 October 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong: Pasko Sa Geelong 2026 (read 31 October 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong: Christmas in Geelong
Featured image: Buckley Falls on the Barwon River at Highton, evening, June 2019 (photo: Thom Devereux / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the organisers of these carols nights or the City of Greater Geelong. Event details can change; check the City’s event pages before you go.