Media release
Thursday 13 November

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN
Annual Farmers Santa Parade scheduled for 30 November

The annual Farmers Santa Parade is marching towards its 2014 date with the children and families of Auckland.

More than 250,000 spectators are expected to line the streets of the Auckland CBD on Sunday 30 November in anticipation of the arrival of Father Christmas and the nominal start of the festive season. Rain date is Sunday 7 December.

The Farmers Santa Parade is one of New Zealand’s oldest Christmas parades and the yearly tradition continues with the parade hitting streets at 2pm ready to bring Christmas joy to the city and its youngest citizens.

The parade has always been a colourful mix of pageantry, fun and surprise. This year it introduces a new Vintage Circus Extravaganza float complete with a rotating elephant and surrounded by 40 vintage circus performers. A second new float is Sebastian the Sea Monster, accompanied by jelly fish performers.

Character floats include The Penguins (from Madagascar), Adventure Time – Finn and Jake, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee from Transformers, Santa Bears, Mr and Mrs Potato Head, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Geronimo Stilton, Where’s Wally?, Spot the Dog and Peter Rabbit.

For the past 26 years run skilfully and imaginatively by organiser Pam Glaser, the Farmers Santa Parade runs like a well-oiled machine with more than 200 items in the parade procession and 4000 volunteers bringing joy and delight to the hundreds of thousands who cram the footpaths to welcome Santa to the city.

About the Farmers Santa Parade 2014
The Farmers Santa Parade hits central Auckland on Sunday 30 November (rain date Sunday 7 December).

Timeline:
1:00 pm: Pre-parade entertainment, product sampling and giveaways
2:00pm: Farmers Santa Parade begins
3.30pm: Santa’s Party, Aotea Square

The 2.2 km parade route starts in Mayoral Drive, turns left in to Queen Street, travels down Queen Street before turning left again in to Customs Street West then heading up Albert Street ending at the corner of Albert and Wellesley Streets.

Charity
The Farmers’ Santa Parade supports the Child Cancer Foundation, who will have 250 volunteers positioned along the parade route collecting donations. Child Cancer Foundation collectors will be wearing bright blue uniforms, so be sure to keep an eye out. There is also a text-to-donate option (text BEAD to 206) so you can help to make a difference to children, and their families, who are undergoing cancer treatment. The Child Cancer Foundation aims to reduce the impact of cancer by offering support services that ensure children and their families are supported, informed and well cared for at every stage of their journey.

Numbers:
50 minutes – Approximate time it takes for the parade to pass each spectator
1 hour and 30 minutes – Approximate time it takes for the first float to cross the start line and the last float to cross the end line
4,000 – Number of people involved in the parade
Twelve weeks – Approximate time it takes to make an average float
12 months – Time it takes to organise the parade – organisation for next year’s parade begins basically as soon as Santa takes off his boots this year!
Over 200 – Items in the parade procession

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