It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - and another world record for Canberra.
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In just one week's time, the SIDS and Kids ACT Christmas Lights in the City display in the Canberra CBD will be switched on.
And there's likely to be at least 374,281 lights on the big Christmas tree coming to life in City Walk.
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka in recent days has again broken its own world record for the most number of lights on an artificial Christmas tree - creating a new benchmark of 374,280 lights.
However, organisers of the Canberra Christmas lights spectacular are quietly confident they are on track for a record, when Chief Minister Andrew Barr flicks the switch next Friday evening, November 27.
Even with talk other operatives in Japan are watching the Canberra effort closely and looking to rain on our parade with their own last-minute world record attempt.
Barrister David Richards, who has orchestrated the Canberra display and worked tirelessly to make it happen, is not worried.
"I don't mind there being a challenge," he said, with a smile.
The lights are being put on Canberra's original Christmas tree which has been boosted with an extra 1.5km of fir.
On November 27, a family concert to herald in the lights will begin at 6pm and the lights will go on after sundown, about 8.45pm.
The event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for SIDS and Kids ACT, with chief executive officer Lisa Ridgley saying there would be confirmation of the record on the night.
If it happens, Canberra can lay claim to having the most lit-up Christmas tree - real or artificial - of anywhere in the world.
"An official Guinness World Record adjudicator is flying into Canberra to ensure everything is above board and to tick that box and to say, hopefully, 'You've got the record'," she said.
Amongst all the frivolity of the evening will be a few quiet moments when parents such as Fran Bink remember their children.
Her son Jake was stillborn 22 years ago. The Florey mum started to volunteer with SIDS and KIDS ACT in 2000. She has been doing anything and everything to help put up the Christmas lights display. When the lights are turned on in a week, she will be thinking of Jake.
"I've been a peer supporter for families and I've met so many wonderful people and I think sharing your story with another family is so healing, it really does help," Mrs Bink said.
"So coming here and helping with the lights, I find a really healing process for me. I'm doing it for my son and it's good when the families come here the Christmas lights make them happy. It's a positive thing."
And SIDS and Kids is after many more volunteers - 250 in fact - to help with everything from greeting visitors to collecting gold coin donations to helping with crowd flow to packing up the lights afterwards.
More than 200,000 visitors are expected to attend the month-long event from November 27 to December 31. SIDS and Kids is asking volunteers to commit to a minimum of three shifts for about three hours each.
"Honestly, volunteers make the world go around and we couldn't do this without the support of the business community either," Ms Ridgley said.
Among the volunteers already signed up is Geoff Harding, 71, a "very, very close friend of Santa Claus", and Rex Hall, 77, who has been helping to test the cables.
"Santa think it's wonderful because he loves lights and presents and children being happy," Mr Harding said.
ActewAGL is the "official energy partner" for the Christmas tree lights and a separate 73m-long tunnel interactive display, all powered by LEDs.
Shepherd Electrical managing director Neil Shepherd has been helping to coordinate the installation of the lights, with about 10 electricians working on it each day for the last nearly three weeks.
"The guys get a great deal of satisfaction putting together something everyone can see," Mr Shepherd said.
Ms Ridgley said it was "phenomenal" to see the display come together.
"It's just so exciting to see the resurrection of this tree and to see it in its new location, which is just so perfect in Canberra's CBD," she said.
* The SIDS and Kids ACT Christmas Lights in the City display will be from 6pm to 11pm November 27 to December 31. Entry is by gold coin donation. On November 27, a family concert starts at 6pm and the lights will be switched on about 8.45pm. More details at www.christmaslightsinthecity.com.au.To volunteer, contact SIDS and Kids ACT on 6287 4255 or email volunteers@sidsandkidsact.org.
