Rotorua Christmas Parade Charitable Trust chairwoman Michelle Pleydell said the floats were of a high quality and participants "really outdid themselves this year".
"We were really pleased with how the event went. I have been involved in the trust for about five years and I've never seen a crowd so big.
"There was something for every member of the family. We had a new Santa this year and the kids all really loved him and there was a steam-punk float that was a big hit with the teenagers.
"It all went off without a hitch - everybody was well behaved and having a great time, we got a lot of good feedback."
Ms Pleydell said a "combination of everything" made the event a success.
"I think the change in time for the parade, the entertainment, the fine weather and the effort that went into creating the floats all contributed to the event's success. We had quite a few parents saying having the parade at 4pm meant it wasn't so hot for the smaller children."
She said it was hard to pull off such a big event but "seeing the big smiles on all the children's faces made it worthwhile".
"The parade was wonderful and who knows, maybe next year we'll have a crowd of 10,000," she laughed.
Float winners
Not-for-profit: Red Stag
Education: St Mary's and St Michael's Catholic schools
