Community
Thousands of Invercargill families enjoyed the festive spirit of the annual Southland Santa Parade on Saturday, November 25. The parade featured more than 40 floats, including popular characters, cultural groups, and Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds and Southland District mayor Rob Scott, who waved to the crowd and wished them a merry Christmas.
The parade started at 1pm on Gala Street onto Dee Street around the Trooper memorial and looped back down Dee Street, giving the spectators a chance to see the floats twice without moving from their spot. The parade also had a simpler route this year, due to traffic management reasons.
The new route proved popular with the crowds and the weather was perfect.
The appearance of Santa Claus, didn’t disappoint the crowd.
The parade also showcased the diversity of Invercargill, with floats representing different cultures, such as Pacific, Indian, Chinese, and Filipino. Some of the floats also performed dances and songs, adding to the festive atmosphere.
The event manager of the parade, Alice Pottinger, said it was one of the best parades they had ever had, and thanked the community for their support and participation. She said the parade had a fantastic turnout of people, who also visited the Gala St Reserve after the parade to see the floats up close and enjoy the food and entertainment.
The parade was organised by the Southland Christmas Parade Charitable Trust, with the help of local sponsors and volunteers. The trust has been running the parade since 1999, and has attracted up to 20,000 people in the past.
The parade was also praised by the spectators, who said it was better than previous years. They said they loved the quality and variety of the floats, and the multicultural aspect of the parade.
Mike Sanford, the founder of whatsoninvers.nz, said he was biased but he thought the What’s On Invers Pirate ship float with Kelly and her crewmates was the highlight float. Kelly had received lots of positive feedback about the float and the new route, which also reduced the traffic congestion in the city. He said he was proud to be involved in the parade for ten years and that it was a great community event.
The Southland Santa Parade was the first of the four parades in the region, with Gore and Bluff scheduled for December 10, and Riverton for Christmas Eve.