A wacky parade of jugglers, Elvis impersonators, fairy princesses, and bear tamers marched up and down the main street on New Year's Eve to herald the end of a crazy year.
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Baylis and Fitzmaurice Street had resembled a ghost town for much of the year, but it sprang to life on Thursday as party-goers came to bid good riddance to 2020.
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One of them was father-of-two Michael Cappello, 36, who said he would always remember 2020 as the year when the toilet paper ran out.
"The toilet paper shortage was frustrating, because it didn't make any sense. We got very close to running out. We were onto our last roll, I reckon," Mr Cappello said.
"Now any time you're buying toilet paper you feel like you're being judged. Other than the toilet paper situation, 2020's been a pretty good year for our family. We've been very lucky, especially in Wagga."
Mum Amanda Cappello, 33, said it had been a "tiring" year spent mostly indoors with two energetic young children.
Mrs Cappello said one of her daughters had come to really enjoy wearing her mask - a little one with pink unicorns on it.
"It was a bit scary at the start having two young children and COVID being around, the parks closing down and being stuck inside. They couldn't understand why they couldn't go out," Mrs Cappello said.
"Everybody would agree it's been a long year. It feels good that it's over."
Kooringal High School graduate Kashyap Aghara said it had been a chaotic year to finish the HSC, but that lockdown suited him perfectly fine as an introvert.
Mr Aghara is looking to study medicine at UNSW next year, and is currently finishing off his uni placement interviews.
He now looks back on his high school years with nostalgia, and he hopes to make more fond memories in the next chapter of his life.
"I've got to say, I'm going to give hats off to myself and all my peers. It's been a tough year, but I feel everyone's done really well," Mr Aghara said.
"It's sad to see everyone go their separate ways. I'm going to miss them, but I'll get to meet new people and make new friendship groups. I'm excited for that when I go to uni."
Mickaela Eggleton, 19, said it had been an especially tough year for her and her 18-year-old sister.
The two of them have been working through lockdown to support their parents, who are out of work, while finishing off TAFE and high school respectively.
Ms Eggleton said despite this year's hardship, she still clings onto the hope that things will get better.
"I currently work as a baby sitter and I'll be working as a childcare worker soon, hopefully," Ms Eggleton said.
"I don't know if next year is going to be much different - there's still COVID and the borders are getting closed. Hopefully things will get better."