Sun adds a shine to Christmas parade

There was plenty of colour in the parade, as these cheerful Riversdale Elves showed. Photo / Paul Taylor

The threatening clouds of forecast rain stayed away and sunshine and warm winds greeted the grand old man of Christmas, Santa Claus, in Napier on Saturday.

The welcome weather brought plenty of smiles to the team who put the Napier Christmas Parade back together for the first time since 2007.

Parade co-ordinator Zoe Barnes was delighted with the way it went and equally delighted it drew a big crowd.

"I was talking to [city councillor] Keith Price and he reckoned there were about 4000 people there - which was great."

The central city was abuzz from just after noon as people began to head for Emerson St to take up a top spot to see the parade pass by. Sun umbrellas and sun hats were the vogue of the day, rather than the rain umbrellas and coats which forecasts even up until Friday were predicting may have been needed.

"Santa looked after us," Ms Barnes said. "He most definitely delivered on that one."

The weather was the only part of the whole organisational equation she had any doubts about. "We put a lot of time into this and a lot of very good people were involved so it was pretty well organised."

Among those who stepped forward to help plan the event was Art Deco Trust events manager Jonathan Smith. In his former role he had steered the big Manurewa Christmas Parade and other major events in Auckland.

"Jonathan was a godsend - he had all the logistics sorted and knew how to move it along so well."

Napier Mayor Bill Dalton, who with wife Shirley took their place in the parade, said he was delighted to see the festive spirit it clearly created, and underlined that there would definitely be another one next year, and the year after that.

Michael and Janice Hillman, a couple visiting Hawke's Bay from Australia, described the parade as "sparkling" and "quite special". They said while it may not have had the number of participants and the power of Christmas parades in the big cities it had a true family feel.

"You were standing right there where it was happening - for the kiddies watching it must have been great because they would have felt like they were almost in the parade as well."

Others who watched on agreed, and it was clear from the joy on the faces of the youngsters that this was a special occasion, and one they would remember.