Parade brings cartoon colour to town.

COLOURFUL fairytale folk flocked to Stratford on Friday night for the annual Christmas parade.
There were 25 official floats in the parade, along with sundry other vehicles and people – vintage tractors, hot rods, bicycling clowns and crowds of dwarves.
With the theme of the parade being Disney, there were several Snow Whites, dozens of dwarves and a party of pirates, as well as many other storybook characters.
For an hour before the parade kicked off, the car park beside the War Memorial Hall was crammed with floats and dressed-up people, awaiting judging and preparing for their big outing.
A pirate ship complete with a plank, a crocodile and Peter Pan hovering above it won McDonalds Real Estate first prize for the best float, with second going to Toko Lions Club, and third place to the Taranaki Irish Social Club.
A large crowd enjoyed the evening parade, led by the Combined Taranaki Pipe Band,  with Father Christmas arriving at the end in a little fire engine.
The Stratford Business Association had asked drivers not to park on Broadway while the parade was on, and this resulted in a much clearer roadway and better views for the crowd.