Fireworks light up the sky at New Year's Eve celebrations on The Strand. Photo / Andrew Warner
Fireworks light up the sky at New Year's Eve celebrations on The Strand. Photo / Andrew Warner
The traditional New Year's Eve mayoral barbecue will be continued, with Tenby Powell promising to serve up the sausages at the city's waterfront celebrations.
Powell said he will be hosting a "big cook up" on The Strand as part of the free Tauranga CBD New Year's Eve Community Celebration on December 31.
The mayoral barbecue has been a New Year's Eve tradition former mayor Greg Brownless started in 2015.
Tauranga residents are invited to welcome in 2020 at community events planned in the city centre, Greerton, Matua and Pāpāmoa - or watch the fireworks from their backyards.
The first fireworks will light up the sky at 9.30pm from the Tauranga Waterfront, Gordon Spratt Reserve and Fergusson Park.
A Greerton community event has been added to the list of family-friendly festivities this year and will feature a laser light show instead of fireworks.
Midnight fireworks will also be launched from various locations that can be seen across large parts of the city.
There will be no fireworks display at Mount Maunganui.
Tauranga City Council general manager of community services Gareth Wallis invited residents to welcome in the New Year at any of the city's family-friendly events.
"The events offer people an opportunity to celebrate locally in a community-minded, family-friendly environment," he said.
Former Tauranga mayor Greg Brownless was keen to keep his annual barbecue at the city's waterfront going each New Year's Eve. Photo / File
Western Bay of Plenty Police Inspector Clifford Paxton said police work closely with the council and others to ensure New Year's Eve events are safe and family-friendly.
"Police support community-based events that help make this vibrant city safe for people live and visit," he said.
"Our aim is always to reduce alcohol-related harm and this year is no different."
There will be a police presence in Mount Maunganui and Tauranga during the holiday period to ensure the community enjoys a positive New Year's Eve celebration.
Our Place is hosting a New Year's Eve event to see in 2020. Photo / File
Lisa Rooney remembers watching the bands play as thousands of people counted down to the New Year on Mount Maunganui's main beach.
That was five years ago when she first moved to the beachside town.
Now with a job in hospitality, Rooney spends New Year's Eve working.
As area and entertainment manager at The Rising Tide and sister bar High Tide Tauranga, Rooney books about 60 gigs a month between both bars.
This year she is organising her first gig as a solo promoter - Kaleidoscope New Year's Eve festival at Our Place.
Rooney was expecting about 500 people to help ring in the New Year, with the line-up including Soaked Oats, Marlin's Dreaming, Mini Simmons and Half Moon Baby.
Rooney said Our Place was the perfect setting for gigs, but most importantly to offer New Year's Eve festivities for young adults across the bridge.
"You can even see the fireworks from the waterfront at midnight," she said.
Rooney said most cities across the world had New Year's Eve festivities and as a tourist town Tauranga and the Mount needed to embrace it too.
Both locals and visitors from out-of-town and overseas generated a lot of income for businesses at this time of year, which helped to keep them going throughout the winter, she said.
"So I think it's important that we keep providing entertaining but safe events for everyone," she said.
"... and of course we are very unique. We have the best weather and the best surroundings and some of the best long-running summer events in the country reside here."
New Year's Eve events
What: Tauranga CBD New Year's Eve Community Celebration Where: Tauranga Waterfront, Tauranga CBD When: 6pm to 9.30pm
What: Papamoa New Year's Eve Community Celebration Where: Gordon Spratt Reserve, Pāpāmoa When: 6pm to 9.30pm
What: Matua New Year's Eve Community Celebration Where: Fergusson Park, Matua. When: 6pm to 9.30pm
What: Greerton New Year's Eve Community Celebration Where: Tauranga Racecourse When: 6pm to 9.30pm
