When all roads leading to Park Street were chock-a-block on Christmas eve, residents of Rail Vihar Phase IIIB decided to bring Allen Park (the venue of Kolkata Christmas Festival) to their doorstep instead.

Ahead of Christmas this year, the cultural department of Phase IIIB came up with the idea of organising a Christmas Carnival on December 24, led by Anasua Sarkar and Sohini Datta. Members brainstormed for a couple of weeks on the decor and created an exhibition area that had models depicting Jesus’s birth, a church and, of course, Santa Claus riding a sleigh.

The in-house artists worked till late in the night to put together various artwork, including a beautiful photobooth. Another innovation was using discarded tyres to make a snowman. The decor, lights and music set the mood for the celebrations that were to follow.

So on Christmas eve, there were food counters set up by in-house chefs and the spread ranged from popcorn, chicken croquettes, pudding, egg devil and sandwiches to mixed fried rice, momos and other delicacies. Children just kept munching.

And there was more in store for kids like games, magic show and finally Santa Claus who arrived with candies, drawing a huge cheer from the little ones. They just wouldn’t let Santa go! The fun-filled evening ended with the kids and their parents dancing their hearts out.

“My daughter and I had a fantastic time at Rail Vihar and soaked in the Park Street vibes at our own premises,” said Neelanjali Kundu, mother of nine-year-old Nibedita Saha. “It was such a festive mood that we didn’t really miss Park Street and the traffic jam and the huge crowd there."

Santanu Basu, the secretary and cultural convenor of the association, who conceived the idea, said that the event would not have been possible without the support of Nikhilesh Biswas, their president.

For the past one year, the housing society has taken several initiatives to engage its residents in various activities such as Christmas celebrations, sports day and Holi, and the response has been great. These celebrations have deepened the bond among the residents, who say that the society has now become an extended family.