The countdown is on for the NBS Nelson Santa Parade, which is set to bring festive cheer to the streets of Nelson next Sunday.
Organised by the Nelson Santa Parade Trust, this year’s event will feature 41 entries, with more to come.
This year’s parade has a special focus on first responders, honouring those who “work when we’re not working”, according to trust chairperson Trevor Marshall.
He says, the theme offers the public an opportunity to express gratitude to essential workers who have been on the front lines throughout the year.
“Police, fire, ambulance, surf lifesaving, road workers, doctors, nurses, the army... all of those people that help us when it all turns to custard. It’s a great chance for the public to thank them. And also, I think it’s good for them to know that we’ve got their back.”
Among the highlights this year will be several new floats, including one from the SPCA, a French-themed float, and a contingent of vintage cars from the Vintage Car Club. There will also be a display of mowers from the Mowsworth Rampage.
But they still have some costumes to fill and would love to find some teenagers to wear them in the parade.
“We’ve still got a lot of costumes that we need to get people into, so if there’s a group or an organisation out there who wants to be in the parade, come and talk to us. The age group we’re really after is young teenagers,” Trevor says.
Menzshed has made 1000 toys to give away and people are encouraged to bring a donation for the local foodbank.
Trevor says that despite challenges in securing funding, the parade is still thriving, thanks to the efforts of volunteers and sponsors.
“Like everybody, we’re struggling for funding. It’s even harder now than before, but we’ve been really fortunate that a lot of people who have been with us in the past have come back on board.”
Trevor says that for them to move the parade even further forward, they will need to secure extra funding so they can upgrade floats.
“We’re trying to refresh and add new stuff all the time, but to do that costs money, particularly for the parts. We get a lot of volunteers who contribute huge amounts of time and money. Downer contributes all of the road closures for free on the day. If we had to pay for that, we couldn’t do the parade.”
He says, one of their biggest costs is leasing their Quarantine Rd storage premises.
“That does cost us a lot of money and would probably be our greatest expense.”
The trust is made up of just a small handful of volunteers, and they would love to find more people to join them.
“We’ve got a couple of guys retiring this year, so we’d really like somebody with good practical skills, some creative skills, and also some organisational and management skills.”
Trevor recognises that the past year has been tough for many, and the parade is an opportunity to spread some much-needed cheer.
“We know it’s been hard, and that’s why we put it on. There are less and less parades now, but we’re trying to keep this going, keep it fresh, and get new groups in. It’s a chance to forget about everything else, bring the kids down, and have some fun.”
The NBS Nelson Santa Parade is on Sunday, 30 November. The parade will kick off at 1pm from Montgomery Square, making its way down Hardy St, through Trafalgar St, and finally looping into Hathaway Terrace, ending at Trafalgar Park carpark. Santa and his sleigh will finish at the Trailways carpark for photo opportunities.
For those interested in joining the parade or volunteering with the trust, contact them at nelson.santaparade@gmail.com
