The collaborative event kicked-off in Memorial Park with the Rotary Carnival and a special appearance from Santa Claus.

Rotary's carnival, which has been a popular annual event since the 1950s, had plenty of family fun, including jumping castles, face painting and entertainment from Lorraine Sutton. Crowds also flocked to the famous ham raffle.

Energy levels and appetites were kept high with sausage sizzles, steaks and chips, pizza, coffee, fairy floss and a Mr Whippy van.

Mayor John Dal Broi and deputy mayor Dino Zappacosta were on hand to switch on the city's Christmas tree signalling the beginning of the first Griffith's Got Spirit, a collaboration between Griffith City Council and The Area News.

Eager crowds jumped aboard three Polar Express buses and took a tour through Griffith to see some of the town's best Christmas light displays.

Carols and laughter filled the buses and cheers erupted as they approached the dazzling Christmas displays, including crowd-favourite Roy Marando’s display.

Mr Marando’s Holmes Crescent home has 710 sets of lights more than 189,500 individual lights and took 326 hours to put up.