Orange councillors have made the right decision by choosing to stick with a community based Carols By Candlelight, the only crucial decisions left are the venue and which local groups run the event.
A vastly increased budget might have opened up other options, like celebrity guests and elaborate entertainment, but this would have been opposed in some quarters because of the cost and in others because it moves away from the intimate experience families have enjoyed for many years in the north court.
To suddenly find tens of thousands of dollars for imported talent would also have been a slap in the face for the community committee which has run the carols on a shoestring for years.
With the type of the event now settled the council should be talking to the two groups likely to be involved in staging it about where it should be held.
Members of the Orange Theatre Company, local bands and community leaders have had key roles in staging the carols for more than a decade.
They would know what it costs to provide an adequate sound system for the north court, and how quickly that would blow out if the carols were moved to Wade Park or Towac Park, as some councillors have suggested.
They would also know just how much a venue influences the feel of an event.
Having families picnic on the grass in the north court at dusk and enjoy carols as evening falls has provided a wonderfully intimate evening in the past.
With a realistic budget finally on the table the traditional venue could host a truly wonderful Christmas spectacle.
