Te Puke Santa parade adds a race car to attractions

Santa is coming to Te Puke for the Float Parade. Photo/File

By Amy Diamond

Santa Claus will be coming to town on December 1 this year.

The Te Puke community has once again come together to create the 2018 Seeka Te Puke Float Parade that will take place from 11am along Jellicoe St.

Epic Te Puke's Rebecca Larsen says the event is well established and is always well supported by the community.

Organisers from Te Puke Events and Promotions Group Ltd (Epic Te Puke) thanked Seeka for again being the naming sponsor and welcomed DMS Progrowers as a new sponsor to the Supreme Theme Prize category.

AFFCO would be sponsoring the Community Organisations prize and Zespri sponsoring the Business and Commercial prize.

"We are very grateful to these sponsors, giving us the much needed financial support to manage and run this community event," says Rebecca.

She says last year about 30 floats were entered, one of the largest parades the town had seen, and she expects similar numbers this year.

Local sports stars will be celebrated as the theme this year, says Rebecca.

"We have a lot of different sports options in and around Te Puke to celebrate which will create an interesting and fun theme."

All floats will be judged this year within their category based on this theme.

The Supreme Award Trophy, donated by Te Puke Jewellers, will once again be awarded to the float that the three judges deem to be supreme theme winner.

The supreme theme prize is generously donated by DMS Progrowers this year. In 2017 Ōtamarakau School took out the Epic title.

Spectators will be treated to a viewing of a Maclaren M8F race car that will be on loan from Warwick Mortimer who lives in Matakana. Photo/Supplied

Spectators will also be treated to a viewing of a Maclaren M8F race car on loan from Warwick Mortimer who lives in Matakana. Denny Hulme drove a similar vehicle when he won the CANAM championship in North America and Canada.

The parade:

-Jellicoe St will be closed off for the event from 10.30am until 1 pm.
-The parade will run from 11am to noon, with prize giving outside the post office at 12.30pm. Cones will be placed in car parking spaces the night before to help manage health and safety requirements, and clearing the road for the parade on Saturday morning.
-Shoppers will still have access to Jellicoe St in the morning but will be asked to move their cars out of the area no later than 10.30am.

Want to get involved?

-Entry forms for the parade will be available by the middle of October from the Te Puke Library, or admin@epictepuke.co.nz to receive one by email.
-Entry will cost $50 which also helps cover the running costs of the event.
-Epic Te Puke runs the float parade as a non-profit event giving community groups the opportunity to fundraise and sell food during the parade.
-Entry fee is waived for members of Epic Te Puke and service groups.
-Epic Te Puke is looking for one more sponsor for the Education prize this year. Contact admin@epictepuke.co.nz if you want to be a sponsor.
-Help is always needed to put on the town parade so if you are able to lend a hand on the day to volunteer please email admin@epictepuke.co.nz