Snowy surprise for Penangites
GEORGE TOWN: The Yuletide season fell upon Beach Street here on the morning of Christmas Eve, with a surprise “snowfall” at Occupy Beach Street (OBS).
As “snow” fell intermittently for over an hour, pedestrians could not resist taking selfies and wefies.
Called the “Snowfall Experience”, OBS project director Jack Wong said it was aimed at allowing visitors to experience a snowy scene for the festive season.
He added that 12 machines were used to spray foam which descended slowly to the ground.
To add to the ambience, evergreen Christmas tunes were played.
A fivepiece band and carollers performed renditions of wellknown favourites, while ballerinas and children danced for the crowd.
Earlier, some 5,000 runners took part in the 7km OBS Run.
Previously a carfree Sunday on Beach Street from morning till 1pm, the event was later renamed OBS with social events thrown in weekly.
Teacher Elizabeth Fitch from the United States, who joined the run and the Christmas celebration later, grinned at the sight of the artificial snow.
“Snow is normal for us, unlike here. It’s a different experience for me, but definitely a memorable one,” she said.
Technician Andrew Koay, 34, said it was a surprise to see the unexpected “snowfall”.
“I joined the run with my wife, but didn’t know we would get snow,” he said while taking photographs.
The fun run was flagged off by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who also joined the run, at 7am.