Enjoy the festive fun at the Santa parade party

Local News Events and Exhibitions
PUBLISHED: 26 NOV 2020

New Plymouth’s annual Christmas Parade Party is shaping up to be a car-free cracker with free buses to and from the city centre and a ho host of music and entertainment from Zeal Taranaki.

NPDC will be making the central city a family-friendly pedestrian zone on Saturday 28 November and Taranaki Regional Council is providing free buses all day.

The party kicks off at 11am with carnival-style games, including a Santa sprint, plus Christmas crafts and live performances on the Zeal stage at party central in the Huatoki Plaza, before the New Plymouth Central Lions putting on the main feature, the annual Christmas Parade, from 1pm.

“Santa Claus is coming to town and he knows it’d be extra good of everyone to shop local this Christmas, so leave the car at home, grab a coffee and a bite to eat and check out the stocking-fillers at our awesome local retailers while you join the fun and take in the sounds at the Christmas Parade Party,” says NPDC Spokesperson Jacqueline Baker.

Free buses will run from all New Plymouth suburbs plus Bell Block, Waitara, Ōākura and Ōmata and the timetable is on the TRC website.

“Oh what fun it is to ride a free bus to the Christmas Parade Party, forget the parking and traffic hassles, especially if you’ve never used the buses before,” says TRC Transport Services Manager Chris Clarke. 

Santa’s cavalcade will take a circuit route again this year, starting at the Clock Tower and moving east along Devon Street, turning left down Liardet Street and heading back down Gill Street/Ariki Street back to the start.

For those wanting to continue the party, the Indian community will be serving up an extra dose of the festive spirit with the annual Diwali festival at the TSB Stadium from 4.30pm.