A colourful troll-themed float from a previous Kerikeri Christmas Parade. Photo / Peter de Graaf
A colourful troll-themed float from a previous Kerikeri Christmas Parade. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Plans for the most spectacular Kerikeri Christmas Parade in years followed by a CBD-sized street party have been scuttled by — what else? — the pandemic.
All is not lost, however, with organisers working out new ways of bringing Christmas spirit to the Bay of Islands town.
This year wasset to have been the first time the parade was organised by community group Our Kerikeri, which took on the responsibility after the Lions Club bowed out in 2020.
Afterwards, Our Kerikeri had planned to close the main road to traffic and hold a street party while shops stayed open until late.
However, chairwoman Annika Dickey said both events had to be cancelled due to Covid uncertainty. It was not clear if the traffic light system, with its requirement for vaccination certificates at large public gatherings, would be in place by then.
The star of the Kerikeri Christmas Parade waves to his multitude of fans. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The group was continuing to organise events that could go ahead at any alert level.
That included large-scale Christmas installations around town and a Santa's grotto outside Feast on Homestead Rd, where children could get their photos taken.
However, in these days of social distancing and travel restrictions applying even to the North Pole, Santa would not be there in person.
''We've had to scale it back but we will still be doing what we can. We have a fantastic team of volunteers and our sponsors have been amazing.''
Despite the change of plans sponsors had allowed Our Kerikeri to keep their donations and put the money towards the new, Covid-proof version of Christmas, Dickey said.
Creative director Kylie Penn said the decorations would stay up throughout December.
''We're working very hard to make Christmas creative and fun, even within Covid restrictions.''
One of the highlights would be a travelling choir cruising the streets of Kerikeri and Waipapa on the back of a truck, singing carols for five days in the lead-up to Christmas.
Santa and his helpers satisfy calls for a lolly scramble at a previous Christmas in the Village in Kaikohe. Photo / supplied
Kaikohe Business Association is also busy planning for a Covid-era Christmas, with organiser Anika Whapshott saying the usual Christmas in the Village Parade couldn't go ahead given safety considerations and restrictions on gatherings.
Instead a Christmas trail would be created in the shopfronts along Broadway, with businesses paired up with community groups and schools to decorate the windows.
Prizes would be awarded for best business creation, best community creation and people's choice. Entrants were encouraged to finish their windows by December 3 and leave the decorations in place until after Christmas.
Whapshott said the trail could be enjoyed by anyone in their own time, with masks and social distancing but no need for vaccine certificates.
It could also go ahead even if Northland returned to a level 3 situation.
For updates, go to the Kaikohe Business Association Facebook page or email admin@kaikohe.town to get involved.
Kaikohe's giant Christmas tree — a Norfolk pine next to the skate park — will also be lit up.
Paihia is also putting on a Christmas trail similar to those planned in Kerikeri and Kaikohe.
If it gets the go-ahead the parade will meet Santa in the City, organised by Whangārei District Council, in the Cameron St Mall after making its way through town.
Floats can be registered at The Hits website or by emailing whangareichristmasparade@gmail.com.
