No Christmas Parade for Tauranga but installations and gingerbread fun instead

Tauranga's Trustpower Christmas Parade has again been reformatted into a Covid-proof calendar of events and installations.

Mainstreet Tauranga's Millie Pidwell said it strategically looked at how to deliver a Christmas experience in the city centre in the current Covid environment, and this year a parade was simply not viable.

"We still wanted to deliver something amazing for our city centre that brings festive joy.

"And in fact our six-week Christmas calendar of events and installations, like last year, will provide even more for our community."

She said sponsor Trustpower supported the city centre at Christmas time each year, and this year was no different with the Trustpower Hononga Photographic Exhibition and Trustpower Toi Tauranga Christmas.

The Christmas celebrations also include a giant gingerbread house installation, Christmas crackers and Christmas box trees.

The Tauranga Christmas Parade in 2019. Photo / George Novak

The giant gingerbread house will be located in the Red Square from November 26 until early January, standing at 6m wide and 2.4m high, with a garden out the front.

There will also be Great Gingerbread Hunt events that will take place on Saturdays December 4, 11 and 18.

People can get their free tickets for the gingerbread hunts from Eventbrite.

Pidwell said the installations would be lit up at night, and that the Tauranga City Council had been working on some amazing Christmas illuminations with artist Angus Muir for The Strand.

"So there's a lot happening and we are really thrilled that we can still bring that Christmas joy to our city centre.

"We encourage people to come into the city centre, not only to experience what we are installing for Christmas but to do Christmas shopping and dining here – we have amazing businesses that would love to see them, and there are great places for lunch, dinner and catching up with friends and family.

Jacob and Quentin from Quality Building Services Tauranga LTD, James Wilson from Tauranga City Council and Millie Pidwell from Mainstreet Tauranga with the gingerbread house. Photo / Supplied

"It's really important to remember our message of 'buy local, buy Tauranga'. Our local city centre businesses need good support."

Pidwell thanked Richard at Black Chilli Design, who was constructing the giant gingerbread house, and Quentin and Jacob from Quality Building Services Tauranga for their help.