John Espin with the trophy he has created for the winner of the wheelbarrow category he has initiated for Saturday's Seeka Te Puke Christmas Float Parade.
John Espin with the trophy he has created for the winner of the wheelbarrow category he has initiated for Saturday's Seeka Te Puke Christmas Float Parade.
This year's Seeka Te Puke Christmas Float Parade has been deliberately kept simple - but it isn't without a little bit of mischief.
The parade takes place on Saturday, starting at 11am, and EPIC Te Puke marketing manager Rebecca Larsen says the main thing organisers wanted was to make surethe parade went ahead.
"'There will be a few food stalls, but the focus is more about the parade and keeping it quite simple because when we came out of [lockdown] there was a lot of anxiety around organising things with crowds.
"So we wanted to make it quite simple, be celebratory and not too stressful for people, but something that the kids can mark in their calendar and say it's the parade, so Christmas is on its way'," she said.
"It's going to be a great local thing for Te Puke and we are encouraging people to come out an watch."
The main theme of this year's parade is Traditional Christmas Celebrating Community, but Rebecca says she would like to see more unusual vehicles included in the parade and perhaps build on that theme next year.
"I would like to see more interesting vehicles turn up on the day - but it would be better if they tell us they are coming because we need to know how long the parade is going to be because if it's over a certain number of vehicles, we have to extend the parade route."
There are several categories for judges to assess and they will also name the supreme winner that will win the Te Puke Jewellers Supreme Award that last year went to Rangiuru School.
"They did an excellent float last year. They made things out of natural materials and it was really beautifully done, so it will be interesting to see what comes out this year with the Christmas theme."
One of the categories that won't be officially judged has been created with a little bit of mischief in mind - the wheelbarrow category.
Thought up by Stupid Robot Fighting League creator John Espin - to make sure he won - his bluff has been called and more entries into the wheelbarrow category have been called for.
"I created it without permission," he freely admits, "for my own float so I could win the competition. But Rebecca has now opened it up to everybody so I might not win it after all."
John's float last year comprised a wheelbarrow carrying one of his stupid robots - and this year he has gone one better with the float set to feature two wheelbarrows and the first and second-placed robots from a recent eight robot knockout competition filmed for Japanese TV.
"It's all a good laugh, but they have undermined my cunning plan to win the category, so in revenge I have made a gargantuan trophy."
John will also have a camera facing the crowd and anyone who waves and says 'konnichi wa' will be added to his vlog of the day.
"It's all very silly, but that's my jam."
Two year old Mabel Powdrell will be sitting with Santa during Saturday's Te Puke Christmas Float Parade.
Of course, however hard he tries, John will never be able to upstage Santa in the parade - and this year Santa will have next to him 2-year-old Mabel Powdrell.
Starting outside the Te Puke Memorial Hall, the parade will make two circuits of the town centre. Prizegiving will be at 12.30pm.
