Pa¯ pa¯ moa to host parade on Sunday
30 floats ready for Santa Parade this year
There’s only one Santa, people — a reminder given to the 30 floats that will be parading in Pa¯pa¯moa this Sunday celebrating the Tauranga community’s Christmas spirit.
Santa will have his own 11m sleigh complete with reindeer in the parade and wants to make sure there’s no confusion for tamariki.
“There’s only one Santa,” says Julia Manktelow of parade organiser Pa¯pa¯moa Unlimited.
“Everyone building a float has been told. We can’t police what happens in the crowd and someone will always try, but Santa has a big float and he’ll be there with his reindeer.”
With 30 floats, it’s smaller than the turnout of 43 last year.
Julia puts that down to the escalated Covid rates this year: “But we think the cost of living might also be a factor. It’s great to see community vibe out there and the organisations that have produced floats are excited to be part of it.”
While it’s all about the spirit, the floats will be judged by MP Todd Muller and Pak’nsave owner Rob Mcgregor.
All who have built a float are crossing their fingers for fine weather.
“We have some floats coming from Rotorua which couldn’t do their parade due to rain, so we’re really hoping the sun shines as there won’t be a rain date because it’s so busy heading into Christmas,” says Julia.
Floats from kindergartens, schools, businesses and a newcomer this year — Parafed Bay of Plenty — are ready to go from 10.30am from the corner of Dickson Rd in Longview at 10.30am on Sunday, December 18. Parafed is taking its member George Sinclair in the trailrider, since George missed out on a ride up Mauao, Mount Maunganui. The trailrider is a mobility transporter allowing people with disabilities to access the mountain. It can be booked on the Tauranga City Council website.
Tauranga’s one and only Santa parade will make its way to Domain
Rd into Gravatt Rd between the Z station and The Island, where people will park up.
Julia says mainstreet promotions
We have some floats coming from Rotorua which couldn’t do their parade due to rain, so we’re really hoping the sun shines.
Julia Manktelow
groups have been working alongside one another to co-ordinate on the dates for different Christmas activities and providing mutual support.
“It’s one of the best things to come out of being unable to host events through the Covid lockdown periods, that all the different mainstreet [promotions] groups are working together and supporting one another. We decided to run a parade and Tauranga supported us, deciding to focus on other street promotions for longevity.
“After all we all want the same thing — to look after our communities and keep people in Tauranga and make people want to come over.”
Meanwhile, Pa¯pa¯moa courier driver Kris Nielsen — who has been hosting Santa’s letterbox at his address for the third year — says the volume of mail that Santa is responding back to is “ridiculous”.
Kris was preparing to be inundated when the Te Puke Times interviewed him last month — and Kris got what he wished for.
“I think we’re sitting at 700-something letters, I’m all caught up but Santa had to write 151 just on the weekend,” he said.
A Santa’s Grotto is operating at Pa¯pa¯moa Plaza and many more Christmas events going ahead, despite the rising Covid numbers.