Santa Parade & Christmas Carnival

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Join us on Sunday 8 December as we celebrate the festive season, kicking off with our annual Santa Parade on Gore Main Street from 12 Noon.

Once you've seen Santa and all of his friends, head over to the Gore Main Reserve for our Christmas Carnival. Be wowed by our roving entertainers, eat lots of delicious food and enjoy the free activities. You may even meet Santa in person...

Want to participate in the parade? Register here!

Registrations close 12 noon, Friday 6 December.

Any community organisation, club, school, kindergarten, business or group in the District is welcome to enter a float. It's a great way to promote what you do and there is no entry fee.

There are fantastic prizes up for grabs each year, with the following categories for 2024:

Insurance Brokers Alliance Ltd. Gore Holly Jolly Award (Best Overall Float)

Level Electrical Gore Jingle Bell Award (Best Educational Provider Float)

McDonough Contracting Turtledove Award (Best Community Float)

Amigos Nutcracker Award (Best Business Float)

The Warehouse Bells and Baubles Award (Best Christmas-Themed Float)

All floats, groups, vehicles and participants of the parade are automatically eligible for the award categories.

It is also possible to hire floats from the Southland Santa Parade for a fee.