With more than 10 immersive spaces, from "Naughty & Niceville" to a giant marshmallow pool, Mrs Jones says the idea behind the exhibition is to recreate the excitement of being a kid at Christmas time, no matter your age.

"For adults, their aren't too many events in the lead up to [the holidays], outside of drinks, or parties," says Jones. "You get too old to visit Santa at Westfield, particularly if you don't have kids."

"Paul and I are massively into Christmas... so we wanted to create a place where you're able to forget about your adult life for an hour or two, and recreate the experience of being young and dreaming of candy the night before Christmas."

To help bring this feeling to life, Jones and her husband knew they needed more hands on deck.

They turned towards their local community, drawing on the creativity already rife in Ballarat. One such local artist they recruited was Travis Price, the illustrator behind the exhibition's life-size advent calendar and large Jack-in-the-box.

"In all our shows, we try and work with local artists," says Jones. "Ballarat really is such a creative place.

"We've known Travis personally for about 10 years. He has a very distinct art style, and does these amazing Christmas cards each year. With the factory being in the Fitzroy/ Collingwood area, we knew we wanted a bit more of an edgy look [as compared with last year's installation]."

So, Travis Price was a natural fit.

It was an opportunity he couldn't pass down.

"I didn't expect the invitation," says Mr Price, "But I was just stoked. I've watched Paul and Allison run Lark for years, and Sugar Republic was so impressive."

When the pair asked if he was interested in painting a life-size advent calendar, he was all-in, also putting his hand up to create a life-size Jack-in-the-box.

"Allison put forward a version of 'Twas a night before Christmas'... and it grew from there," he says.

Coming from a largely commercial background, this project was a chance to let loose and embrace his inner-kid. Embracing the fun, he filled the advent calendar with jokes only worthy of a Christmas bon bon, and gave the originally 'silent' mice from the Christmas poem a rebellious twist.

"It's a bit tongue-in-cheek... an opportunity for adults to have as much fun as their kids, to just enjoy the space and those feelings that come with the lead up to Christmas. For me that's always the best part."

That fun extended to the building process, Price notes.

"On the last day [of building] we finished painting at about 9pm. The next thing I know, my wife is over in the Marshmallow pit." These also being a local touch, a result of a collaboration with So Soft, who are based in Ballarat.

Just like Jones, Price says he's proud of the number of local influences that bring Christmasland together.

"It's a pretty amazing showcase of Ballarat," says Price. "I always get excited to see locals doing stuff outside of Ballarat, taking their talents to a larger national, or even international audience."

"It's recognising you don't need to be so Ballarat centric to show off the local offerings, and it's also important for fostering that sense of creativity in the community."

"It's very cool, and part of why I've always watched Paul and Allison and seen them as a kind of inspiration. We're very lucky to have them."

Christmasland runs until 23 December, with quiet sensory sessions running on Monday Mornings. With sessions already booking up, particularly weekends, Jones recommends booking ahead. Tickets are available at sugarrepublic.com.au .