Rain set to stay away for Hastings Blossom Parade

The Hastings Blossom Parade is primed and ready to go and it would take a hurricane to stop it from going ahead, the parade's co-ordinator says.

Thankfully, there isn't a tropical cyclone, a storm or even a drop of rain on the horizon.

High cloud and a high of 19 degrees Celsius is predicted for Saturday's event, though MetService says a gusty nor'wester could blow in.

Parade co-ordinator Lyn Mackie said she always expected between 20,000 and 25,000 people to show up at the parade, excluding the participants.

The parade itself will have thousands of participants, and 48 entries with plenty of entertainment on offer for young and old, she said.

"The kids always look forward to the Hits foam cannon at the end of the parade", Mackie said.

The IPU Kodama Japanese Drumming Group will also be coming down for the parade from Palmerston North.

The "Jack and the Beanstalk" Kiwibank float, and giant puppets will also appeal to the children in the crowd, she said.

"We also have two Brazilian samba bands, with one of them 'Batucada', leading the parade.

"We also have the tractor which was used to clear up after the 1931 Napier earthquake towing the A & P float."

Falun Dafa NZ (also called Falun Gong) will have a float, a marching band, and a Chinese dragon at the parade, she said.

There will be some entertainment in Albert Sq before the parade, and prizegiving in Civic Square at 1.15pm.

The theme for this year's parade will be "folk tales from around the world".

This theme provides the opportunity for people to interpret it in many different ways, Mackie said.

"What stories can you relate to? Something from your culture or community or just a tale that fascinates you," Mackie said.

"The theme will mean different things to different cultures. Some people will do something related to their own culture, like the Samoan float will be looking at doing something from their own land."