Between 4,500 and 5,000 came at the end of last week for the launch of the Christmas lights in Le Cannet. And since then, several hundred people have come every day to admire the facade of the town hall which is on fire. A show that will be repeated every evening until January 2.
The first took place in 2000. “It was, at the time, due to our desire to celebrate the transition from one millennium to the next, says Barbara Théry, director of events at the municipality, then technical advisor. We started very small, simply with traditional projectors. The facade of this beautiful building lent itself to this type of operation and the public responded rather well. So we decided to continue.”
With improvements every year. A specific electric meter was installed on purpose (it is also used for other events, as was the case for the 250e anniversary of the independence of Cannet, this summer).
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Continuing, Santa Claus has been invited. And the town hall gardens, artificially snow-covered, were used to plant a forest of fir trees which has somewhat become the signature of this unparalleled event for the Christmas period on the entire Côte d'Azur.
“Even in 2020, during the second confinement, we played the game, resumes Barbara Théry. No one could go out but we pretended like 5,000 people were there. We produced a sound and light show which we filmed and which was broadcast on the You Tube channel and the Cannet Facebook. In the end, we had thousands of views.”
Every year, a careful organization is put in place. A long-term job which takes several months and which intensifies and comes to fruition from the beginning of October, when the large fir tree enthroned on Place Foch in Rocheville and the small fir trees in the forest are cut down in the East of France. . The moment when stress begins to build and reaches its peak on the big day.
“The moment comes when everything we imagined comes to pass within two minutes, continues La Cannettane. There is the artificial snow machine which we hope will work, the fireworks which could go wrong hence the presence of the firefighters, the concert of the Chœur du Sud which sets a magnificent atmosphere including the blow of The sending is scheduled and Santa Claus must appear at the right time. One year there was so much noise that he didn't hear the top. We took the stairs two at a time to warn him.”
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Fortunately, for several years, the launch of the illuminations has been automated and that's one less worry. Every afternoon, the technical control installed nearby is triggered by itself at 5 p.m. The sound and light show lasts until 10 p.m., when the music turns off, but the projections continue until 1 a.m.
Now, many companies gather their staff in front of town hall to take photos for a calendar. And more and more couples are now choosing to get married in December to enjoy the magic of the place.
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