Parade a hit despite weather

LOLLIPOP: Ylfa Holmarsdottir came all the way from Iceland for the parade.

Christmas festivities have kicked off in Carterton with the 14th annual Carterton Christmas Parade.

Pam Robinson, Rotary Club of Carterton Christmas Parade committee convener, said the less-than-ideal weather did not deter parade-goers, with thousands coming along to enjoy the floats and Christmas atmosphere on Saturday.

"It was absolutely brilliant, it was a really great day even though the weather was a little unkind to us," Mrs Robinson said.

A record number of floats took part, with about 40 getting involved, including the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car, owned by movie-maker Sir Peter Jackson.

The vehicle is the original used in the 1968 British musical film with Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes as scriptwriters that was loosely based on the Ian Fleming novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car.

The parade also included Santa, the Wairarapa Fern and Thistle Pipe Band, a motorcade of vintage cars, about 300 motorcycles, and Ronald McDonald on roller blades and prizes were handed out for the best floats. Any profit made from the parade goes to local organisations.