2026 Ararat Santa Photos

Mark your calendars because Santa Claus is coming to town this festive season! Ararat Rural City Council is thrilled to announce its first-ever Santa Photos event, offering families the perfect opportunity to capture some Christmas magic.

Santa photo sessions will run across two weekends, on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th, and Friday 18th and Saturday 19th of December. Friday sessions can be booked between 2pm to 6 pm, and Saturday sessions can be booked from 10am to 2pm. Bookings are essential.

Printed 6 x 8' photo prints presented in festive cards and digital image packages will be available on-site, with packages starting at just $25 making them ideal Christmas gifts for family and friends!

To ensure everyone in the community can participate, Council has introduced dedicated pet-friendly sessions as well as low-sensory sessions.

• Pet Friendly Sessions are designed for your furry friends to have their very own photo with Santa. Pet Friendly Sessions are available on the 12th and 19th of December between 10 am to 11:45 am.
   
• Sensory Friendly Sessions are designed with lower lighting and quieter environment for sensory-sensitive children and adults. Sensory Friendly Sessions are available on the 11th and 18th of December between 2:45 pm to 4:45 pm.
   

Event Details:

Location: Santa’s Village, 174 Barkly Street, Ararat
Pricing: Photo packages start at $25 (prints and digital options available - see below)

• Santa Photo Print (6 x 8') - $25
  • This package includes a single 6' x 8' Santa photo print on premium photo paper, presented inside a festive display card. Limit of one print per photo session.
     
• Santa Photo Digital Print Package - $35
  • This package includes 5 high-resolution digital image files from your Santa photo session. Perfect for printing or sharing with family and friends. Limit of one digital image package per session.
     
• Santa Photo Print (6 x 8') + Digital Print Package - $45
  • This package includes a single 6' x 8' premium photo print presented inside a festive display card and 5 high-resolution digital image files. Limit of one print per photo session, and one digital image package per session.

Standard bookings include a 5-minute photo session. Pet friendly and sensory friendly bookings include a 10 minute photo session. All sessions allow a maximum of 5 digital photos to be taken. Limit of one photo print per session (applies to photo print packages only).

To keep Santa on schedule and ensure every family has a magical experience, all sessions operate strictly within their allocated time frame. If you are bringing extended family, we kindly ask that you book two consecutive time slots so no one misses out on the fun!

For information about this event, please contact Ararat Rural City Council.