"There's lollies and spot prizes for the kids and with entertainment on the waterfront after the Parade from the Little Entertainment Company we're expecting a huge day for the city centre."
Last year an estimated crowd of more the 15,000 people lined the streets and this year Mainstreet Tauranga is hoping for more.
"Every year we introduce new floats and work hard with the community to encourage a good mix of business and community floats and displays to delight the crowds.
"It takes a lot of work and we have limited resources but we are determined to build on the parade every year to create one befitting the city centre and our growing city" she said.
"We also look forward to the crowds staying afterwards and enjoying some Christmas shopping and lunch in the city."
Adding to the festivities in the city centre is the newly erected Kiwi bach in the Red Square.
"We wanted to create a place for Santa to spend some time in the lead up to Christmas.
"What started out as an idea to have a Santa's Grotto became The Kiwi bach... a chance for us to celebrate some of our Kiwi heritage. We wanted to put a smile on the face of locals who will relate to the bach heritage and, at the same time, create a little tourist attraction for the cruise ship visitors and others."
The project is a community collaboration with Tauranga Rotary, Guthrie Bowron Tauranga, Black Chilli, Media Works and Mainstreet Tauranga.
From December 10 Santa will take up residence at the bach.
From 11.30am to noon Santa will start the day reading stories to the kids in the Goddards Centre and from noon till 2pom he will be in Red Square, at The Bach, for lunch.
