Santa parade season begins in the Bay

Santa will roll around the streets of Papamoa in a white Cadillac this year. Photo / George Novak

With Christmas only 33days away, Santa will make his first Bay appearance of the year - in a white Cadillac at Papamoa this Sunday.

The Papamoa Santa Parade will be staged on Sunday and organisers hoped to get more attendees than last year's bumper crowd of more than 10,000.

The Lion's Club of Katikati Santa Parade, Te Puke's Christmas Float Parade and Tauranga's Trustpower Christmas Parade would all feature their own parades on December 5.

Papamoa Santa Parade organiser Kate Percy said last year's crowd was double the size they had planned for.

"We are hoping for the same or more than last year, anything more than 10,000 we will high five.

"Santa will be styling in a white convertible Cadillac, that is how he rolls at the Papamoa Santa Parade."

There would be 50 floats in this year's celebration and a "post parade party" afterwards in collaboration with the Little Big Markets. The party would feature rides, a petting zoo, balloons, face painting and a bouncy castle.

Mrs Percy said they were excited about the big day and sharing the event with the community.

Te Puke's Christmas Float Parade organiser Peter Miller said the town's parade was always held on the first Saturday of December and entries for floats were still coming in steadily.

As with last year, there would be a section of the parade where people could walk their pets.

"Last year some people walked some rather strange pets, it's open to everything."

More than 25 floats featured in last year's parade, with both sides of Te Puke's main street packed with onlookers.

The Lion's Club of Katikati Santa Parade organiser David Eddy was also expecting a big crowd.

"It's always well received and have a large crowd of people to view the parade.

"The Christmas parade has been a part of the community history for quite a number of years so families like to go to them to get some enjoyment as a prelude to Christmas."

The parade would finish at Moore Park where Santa in the Park would kick off, he said.