Heading to the Auckland Farmers Santa Parade this weekend? Here's everything you need to know

The Christmas season is officially upon us and even though Santa’s schedule is jam-packed with making lists and checking them twice, his head elf has found a gap in the chaos to ensure Father Christmas can make all the kids smile at Auckland’s Santa Parade.

It’s nearly one month till Christmas, so naturally the much-loved tradition of the Farmers Auckland Santa Parade will soon bring some jolly good cheer to the CBD.

The free-to-attend spectacle - scheduled to be held this weekend on Sunday, November 24 - will see Queen St and Aotea Square packed with thousands of merry revellers of all ages between the hours of 12pm and 5pm.

From our own “Flying Kiwi” (Gold-medal Olympic high jumper Hamish Kerr) as official grand marshal, to a special appearance by beloved TV character Bluey and even a nostalgic Kiwiana caravan float, there’s certainly no shortage of family fun to be had.

Here’s everything you need to know about how the day is planned out:

Timings

Festivities will start with pre-parade entertainment down Queen St from 12pm-1pm, followed by the parade itself from 1-2.30pm.

The parade route is 1.6km long and takes approximately one hour to pass any given point (which means it will take roughly an hour for people to see the full parade).

It will start on the corner of Federal St and Mayoral Dr, then proceed on Mayoral, go down Queen St past the Farmers store, and finish around the corner at Customs St East.

People are encouraged to line up on the street early to grab the best viewing spots. A purple “honour line” will be clearly visible on either side for people to stand behind.

According to the Santa Parade website, the best (unknown) viewing spots are Mayoral Dr between Cook St and Queen St and Customs St East.

At 2.30pm, people can head to Aotea Square to witness the magic of Santa’s Party until 5pm.

As with all parades of this scale, there always has to be a Plan B.

Should the event not be able to go ahead this Sunday, November 24, a postponement date of Sunday, December 1 will be actioned.

A decision on this will be made by 9am on the day on the Santa Parade website and Facebook page.

Parking and transport

All inner-city roads are closed between 11am and 5pm on Sunday, and the website advises people to get into the city before 11am.

Auckland Transport spokesman Blake Crayton-Brown said there was “no better time” to give public transport a go if you’re travelling into the city for the event.

“We’ve got our full bus, train and ferry services up and running, so public transport is a great way to get into the city to watch the parade this weekend.”

AT offers free services for kids under the age of five any day of the week, and children aged 5-15 are free over the weekend if they have an AT Hop card registered in their name.

This Santa Parade will also be the first where people can use contactless payment options like Apple Pay or Visa PayWave debit and credit cards to pay for their fares, making it even easier to use public transport.

Entertainment

Special guests galore are teed up for this year’s parade, and the floats look to be more fanciful than ever.

Star of the show Santa will obviously make his grand appearance, alongside a suite of new characters and floats, including one constructed entirely of Lego and another inspired by K-pop in the shape of a giant pink guitar.

Local community groups are also a big part of the parade. Central Auckland Flip N Fly Circus School and South Auckland Cook Island Community Dance School will showcase their impressive acrobatics and dance skills.

Food trucks, amusement rides, and plenty more entertainment will be on offer at Aotea Square for Santa’s Party from 2.30pm-5pm.

Australian TV treasure Bluey, who leaps across the ditch to star on her very own float in the parade, will also delight fans with her sister Bingo in their own special appearance at the party.

For those who fancy themselves a bit of a Lego legend, there will also be an activation where people can craft their own Lego creations.

A float made entirely of Lego bricks is also set to be one of the highlights of the parade.

Make sure to get to the parade route early though, so you don’t miss the pre-parade entertainment featuring choirs, bands, and interactive characters.

Weather

According to MetService meteorologist Dom Barry, Auckland this weekend looks to be “wet and warm,” with highs of 20C for both Saturday and Sunday.

“We are also expecting it to be mostly cloudy on Saturday, with showers passing through on and off as the day goes on,” Barry said.

“Moving into Sunday, it’s an improving trend with the cloud beginning to break up, and the showers petering out into the afternoon.”

Southwesterly winds would be “noticeable,” but should ease for a time.

Health, safety and wellbeing

Because the Santa Parade is considered a major event in Auckland, the Auckland Transport Operation Centre (ATOC), a joint venture between Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi NZ, will be utilised.

This CCTV monitoring centre on the North Shore will act as a command centre for various emergency services, including police and medical staff, who will also have a visible presence on the ground should they need to assist.

Elite medical staff can help with anything from plasters to headaches to serious injuries on the scene, and Hato Hone St John will also be on hand to facilitate hospital transfers and assist.

Security for the parade will be wearing yellow event T-shirts and will line the parade from 11am. Volunteers will be wearing orange, so can also assist if needed.

For their safety and the safety of the float performers, spectators are instructed to sit behind the purple-painted honour line, as the parade route isn’t fenced.

Security staff, police and volunteers will be on hand to assist and instruct people where to stand behind the line.

- Written by the NZ Herald and republished here with edits and permission