Hundreds of thousands of commuters are set to receive some Christmas cheer over the next six weeks as Adelaide’s historic railway station puts on its Christmas best for the festive season.

Earlier this month, just before the Christmas Pageant, the halls of the 96-year-old railway station were decked with gold and silver sparkling garlands, extending festive cheer to families attending the event via train.

“Decorations have been hung in the Adelaide Railway Station for as long as I can remember,” said Sally McDermant, Director of Asset Management for Renewal SA.

“Adelaide Railway Station has some of the highest foot traffic of any building in South Australia, with around 230,000 commuters rushing through every week. This is our way of spreading the festive spirit to as many people as we can,” Ms McDermant added.

Businesses throughout the railway station are also celebrating the spirit of the season, with pop-up coffee shop Platform 10 being the first to hang their ornaments.

The busy café, located within the main concourse, known for its speedy service and vibrant personality is often staffed by workers from overseas. They say celebrating the Christmas spirit reminds them of home.

Platform 10’s talented barista, Isabella Martinez, who originally hails from Colombia, says, “We’re all from overseas here, so celebrating Christmas together makes it feel a little bit like home.”

Martinez shared that Christmas festivities in Colombia “wouldn’t start this early,” with their traditional ‘Noche de Velitas’ celebration, which means Lighting of the Candles, occurring on the night of December 7, marking the start of the Colombian festive season.

In contrast, Christmas ‘officially’ launches in Adelaide in lockstep with the Christmas Pageant, which was held this year on Saturday 2 November.

“We put the decorations up to align with the Christmas Pageant,” she said.

And it’s been well received by their regulars.

“Most people we serve comment on the decorations. Customers like that our team is always upbeat, that we play music and have a good time while we’re at work,” Ms Martinez added.

Other high-foot-traffic landmarks across Adelaide have joined in the season’s celebrations with large visual displays constructed for city dwellers over recent weeks.

One tram stop and a short walk from the Railway Station, a display in Rundle Mall outside the Myer Centre’s main entrance popped up over the weekend as part of an activation championed by the City of Adelaide.

‘Santa the Snacker’ is one of 10 giant Santa Clauses placed around the city as part of a trail activation called ‘The Santa Course’, drawing foot traffic to other prominent locations including Adelaide Zoo and the Central Markets.

The giant Christmas Tree at Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga was also lit last weekend. The iconic display that rises 25m above the heart of the city was officially illuminated during a free community lighting ceremony, where it will shine through the city until after Christmas.

SkyCity Casino, Adelaide Railway Station’s largest tenant, with sub-tenancies within the station like the Guardsman Hotel, expect their own decorations and lighting features to be on display and adding to the joy of the season in the coming weeks.