There’s only just over a week before the biggest Howick Santa Parade yet and the excitement is quickly building.
The 71st edition of the always much-anticipated festive season extravaganza – one of the Howick ward’s largest one-day events – is held in Howick Village on Sunday, December 8.
Organisers, the Howick Children’s Charitable Trust, says the parade itself will be the longest procession in its history with 75 groups and organisations on floats or in walking and performing groups.
The parade is recognised as the best place to see the east Auckland community in all its glory in one place on one day. It’s the greatest showing of positive community.
The parade itself runs from 1.30pm until 2.30pm, and families and other attendees are encouraged as usual to get there early to secure a good viewing spot, on Picton, Wellington and Cook Streets.
And the organisers encourage families to make it a fun-filled day out, because there’s also going to be the biggest variety ever of pre-parade entertainment and food outlets on offer.
In Fencible Park there’ll be a special Kids Zone with lots of bouncy castles and carnival tasty-treats on offer, while in Moore Street, which will be closed to traffic, there’ll be more family-oriented entertainment including big-band performances, a hot-rod car display and community group stalls.
There’ll also be classic cars on show at the top of Uxbridge Road.
Pre-parade entertainment starts in Picton Street at 11am at the main stage area at the intersection of Uxbridge Road, and there’ll be face-painters on the parade route and roving entertainers such as Disney characters, stilt walkers, Jiggles the Clown, and a unicyclist.
The trust is very grateful to the sponsors of the Howick Santa Parade: Barfoot & Thompson Howick, Andrew Simms NZ, Times Online, and Ormiston Town Centre; and to the support of the Howick Local Board.
