Stratford Christmas Parade brings plenty of Christmas cheer to town

The prize for best float in the Education category went to St Joseph's School.

Broadway was awash with red, gold and plenty of tinsel and Christmas cheer on Friday night when the Stratford Business Association Christmas parade rolled through town.

Image 1 of 72: Stratford Christmas Parade 2022

With 25 floats and groups entered in the parade, judges had a lot to consider before their final decision was made. St Joseph’s School took out first place in the Education category, with judges saying they were won over by the clear effort put into the float decoration, and the consistency with this year’s red and gold theme.

Is it a float or is it a plane? Armourshield Coatings' entry won first place in the open category.

In the Open category, first-place bragging rights went to Armourshield Coatings, who showed plenty of imagination and ingenuity in creating a plane complete with engine lights and sounds for their float. The plane was captained by its very own Top Gun - Kaponga Primary School pupil McGregor Whyte (10). Mcgregor says he enjoyed captaining the plane. He has never been part of a Christmas parade before, but said he was keen to do it again.

Kaponga Primary School pupil McGregor Whyte, 10, was the pilot of Armourshield Coatings plane.

“I had a lot of fun.”

Second place went to Stratford Girl Guides, while third place went to CMK Stratford Flyers. In the Girl Guides float, Lexi Howells, Taylor Abraham and Ruby Howell (all 10) were seated inside a giant Christmas present, and had plenty of fun waving at their friends in the crowd as they travelled along Broadway. With a crowd of hundreds lining the parade route, there were certainly plenty of friends and relatives to wave at.

Before the parade began, shoppers stocked up on Christmas gifts and goodies, with the Prospero market running beforehand, along with live entertainment and carol singing after the parade finished.

Lexi Howells, Taylor Abraham and Ruby Howells, all 10, enjoyed being part of the Stratford Girl Guides float this year.