There may not have been a parade but that didn't keep the crowds away from Winter Magic on Saturday.
Katoomba Street was buzzing all day as a new version of the 25-year-old festival was rolled out. Even without the parade, many took the opportunity to dress up, in anything from animal suits to weirdo masks to flowerpot hats or fairy tutus.
Festival committee president, Naomi Parry, was delighted. "It was a beautiful day and everything went really well," she said.
The new-look festival was a response to the ever-growing costs of traffic and risk management involved with the parade. This year, the organisers concentrated on local performances.
"We think there were 30,000 people there, which was an amazing turnout and ... there was a great deal of support for our new community program," Ms Parry said.
"We've shown the festival works in a smaller footprint so now we can build on that for the years ahead.
"We're so happy to have been able to bring Winter Magic back to our community and it's here to stay."
