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Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Big crowd as Woodville gets a three-for-one Christmas celebration

By Dave Murdoch
Reporter·Bush Telegraph·
14 Dec, 2023 01:09 AM2 mins to read

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Woodville School won the Education Category in the Christmas Float Competition at the Positively Woodville Christmas Parade.

Woodville School won the Education Category in the Christmas Float Competition at the Positively Woodville Christmas Parade.

Woodville offered three events in one to celebrate Christmas this year.

Positively Woodville’s Christmas Parade attracted 20 floats which in turn attracted a large crowd to town, many also eager to see the convoy of 300 motorbikes taking part in the Suzuki Woodville Lions Coast to Coast motorcycle ride, which tags on to the end of the parade each year.

The Coast to Coast riders roar through a packed Vogel Street at the end of the Positively Woodville Christmas Parade.
The Coast to Coast riders roar through a packed Vogel Street at the end of the Positively Woodville Christmas Parade.

Then there was a Christmas Market and entertainment in Fountaine Square to top the day off.

Vicky Tomlinson says she and her team at Positively Woodville decided Woodville really needed to celebrate Christmas after last year’s parade was cancelled because of Covid.

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Property Brokers won the Commercial Category in the Christmas Float Competition at the Positively Woodville Christmas Parade.
Property Brokers won the Commercial Category in the Christmas Float Competition at the Positively Woodville Christmas Parade.

This year the Woodville Christmas Parade started promptly at 11.30am, nearly 30 entries travelled Vogel Street through a crowd three-deep in places, concluding with Father and Mother Christmas in their vintage Woodville fire engine.

Results of the best float competitions -

Community: First Holy Trinity Church, second Woodville Girl Guides, third Positively Woodville 150 Years

Education: First Woodville School, second Kumeroa School, third Tararua REAP

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Commercial: First Property Brokers, second Pahiatua New World, third Peach Plumbing.

The Best Christmas Shop Window was won by Fab Flowers with Sarah Jones second and Café 88 third.

Motorcyclists taking part in the Suzuki Woodville Lions Coast to Coast motorcycle ride relax and enjoy Lions hospitality in Fountaine Square.
Motorcyclists taking part in the Suzuki Woodville Lions Coast to Coast motorcycle ride relax and enjoy Lions hospitality in Fountaine Square.

Right on the tail of the Christmas Parade, 300 motorcycles roared through the main street, three times the number of last year which was hampered by bad weather.

The Woodville Lions guided the motorcyclists into Fountaine Square feeding them burgers and fruit to sustain them for the second leg of the journey.

Two families catch up with Father and Mother Christmas in the Fountaine Square Rotunda (from left): Alexander, Sophie, Wyatt, Haley and Hannah.
Two families catch up with Father and Mother Christmas in the Fountaine Square Rotunda (from left): Alexander, Sophie, Wyatt, Haley and Hannah.

Half the riders went on to Akitio where for a meal, prize-giving and an auction. Leftover food was donated to the local foodbank.

The children enjoyed the bouncy castles at the Christmas Market in Woodville’s Fountaine Square.
The children enjoyed the bouncy castles at the Christmas Market in Woodville’s Fountaine Square.

Meanwhile, the locals took over Fountaine Square to celebrate and shop. There were 20 stalls selling food, crafts, gardening gear and plants, clothes, jewellery and soaps. Radio Woodville filled the airwaves with Christmas favourites while the children enjoyed the bouncy castles, free popcorn and candyfloss and a sit on Santa’s knee all provided by Positively Woodville.

Market stalls attracted Christmas shoppers in Woodville’s Fountaine Square.
Market stalls attracted Christmas shoppers in Woodville’s Fountaine Square.

Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist working for the Bush Telegraph and based at Dannevirke. He has covered any community story telling good news about the district for the last ten years.

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