PARADE FLOATS

Floats of all shapes and sizes are what make the parade great! You could decorate a company car, ute or trailer, make your uniforms christmassy or show us what you are all about!

Absolutely! We love having a range of entries so walking as a group is a great option. It's a good idea to bring banners/ signs so people watching know who you are.

Kumeu Showgrounds is the assembly point for all floats and people involved in the parade. You will be able to access the showgrounds from midday. Please refer to the showgrounds map for which showgrounds entrance you should use.

You can access the showgrounds from midday onwards. Your float manager, driver and float spotters (if you have a vehicle/s in the parade) will need to attend the safety briefing at 5.30pm. The parade begins at 6pm.

There is a truck selling food and drinks and Placemakers are providing a free sausage sizzle. A water station is also provided at the showgrounds.

Your float manager must attend the briefing. If you have a vehicle/s in the parade, the driver of each vehicle and your float spotters must also attend the briefing. The briefing is at 5.30pm at the info tent at the showgrounds.

• If you are entering a vehicle in the parade, you must provide 2 spotters to walk alongside your vehicle. • Float spotters are responsible for safety around your vehicle while it is moving before during and after the parade – they must stay walking alongside your vehicle while it is on the parade route. • Entries with more than 3 vehicles must provide additional spotters. • Spotters must be able bodied, over 18 years of age and must attend the safety briefing at 5.30pm. • Your spotters must be with your vehicle as you approach gate 1 at the showgrounds to begin the parade onto Access Rd or you will not be able to proceed in the parade. • Spotters are to wear a high viz vest.

• If you need to unload people or pack down your float, turn right into Tapu Rd. - Trucks are to offload passengers and decorations at the far end of Tapu Rd. - Small vehicles and walking groups are to head into the Domain. • If you are NOT unloading people and don't need to pack down your float, PLEASE don't turn into Tapu Road. Instead head over the Railway bridge and turn left into Station Road. • The Parade Director will be at the intersection to give instructions to each float.

Tapu Rd will close at 4pm and will remain closed (excepts for floats entering at the end of the parade) until the crowd has dispersed and it is safer to reopen it. This means that cars will not be able to access Tapu Rd and the Huapai Domain for pickup until we reopen it. It also means that once parked in Tapu Rd or the Domain, your vehicle will not be able to exit until we reopen the exit points. We estimate that Tapu Rd will reopen approx 30 mins after the last float has finished the parade and Highway 16 has reopened. We hope to be able to provide a shuttle bus for participants from the Station Rd gravel pit (see map) back to the Showgrounds (details of this service to come).

Toilets are available at the showgrounds and at the Huapai Domain, There is also a port-a-loo on Tapu Rd at the end of the parade.

Nothing! Float entry is free. If you would like to make a donation to help with the costs of running this event we would be most grateful. We don’t receive any money from council and rely completely on the generosity of our local community. The organisers are also volunteers.

The parade will go ahead unless high winds or a major weather event makes it unsafe to do so. The parade will still go ahead if it rains. A decision will be made regarding cancellation by 3pm on the day of the parade and posts about cancellation will be made on our social media pages. There is no save date.

There is free parking and a drop off zone right next to the float assembly area at the Showgrounds. Please enter parking and drop off areas via Gate 2 at the showgrounds on access Rd (see map).