Jacaranda celebrations kicked off in Prince Street, Grafton on Saturday morning with the annual Jacaranda Parade of Youth and Banner competition. Brightly decorated banners which had been created by the local primary school students were on display during a parade down Prince Street for judging at Market Square. The theme for this year’s banner was ‘Market Square – Our Square’. Grafton Public School took out the event with their banner depicting a waving, life like jacaranda queen positioned in the middle of a decorative collage of Market Square. The Beautiful Baby competition which followed saw a large number of entrants aged from birth to 24 month-old line up for judging. Several prizes were awarded in different age categories with the major prize of runner-up going to 9-month-old Dominic Wheatley and the overall winner of the Jacaranda Beautiful Baby competition going to 4-month-old Unique Laurie-Davis. The Jacaranda Children’s Party was a fun event for children of all ages. Entertainment by ‘Jake the Magician’ kept the children captivated along with the traditional dance of the ‘Hokey Pokey’. Children dressed up as their favourite character for the chance to win one of several prizes which were given out throughout the morning. During the event the Jacaranda Flower Girl and Page Boy and Jacaranda Party Princess and Prince and were chosen; Flower Girl – Liila Grace Bullen, 6 and Page Boy – Jye Cone, 5 and Party Princess – Daisy Smith, 9 and Party Prince Leo Larsen, 9.