COUNTDOWN TO OUR 2025 PARADE!
FARMERS SANTA PARADE 2025 Sunday 30th November
Get ready for festive fun on Sunday 30th November at 1pm!
Experience the magic of Christmas like never before as the Farmers Santa Parade returns for its 92nd year!
This year’s Parade will feature grand floats, lively marching bands, treasured characters, dazzling costumes, and The Enchanted Woodland float; a whimsical fairytale scene of mushroom houses, butterflies, and woodland creatures.
Plus, everyone’s favourite pup! Bluey, starring on her very own float and the jolly man himself – Santa Claus!
But the fun doesn’t end there. After the Parade head over to Santa’s Party with Jono, Ben, and Megan in Aotea Square, with incredible stage entertainment, amusement rides, delicious food, and activities for the whole family.
With a rich history dating back to 1933, the Farmers Santa Parade has become a beloved tradition for families across New Zealand, and this year’s event promises to be the biggest and best yet.
Join us on Sunday 30th November for a day of fun, laughter, and memories that will last a lifetime!
So, mark your calendars, grab your Santa hats, and get ready to experience a spectacle like no other at the Farmers Santa Parade.
Relive the magic of the 2024 Farmers Santa Parade by looking through last year’s gallery.
our charity partner
Duffy Books in Homes
The Farmers Santa Parade is a proud supporter of Duffy Books in Homes, the Parade’s charity partner for 2025.
BREAKING THE CYLCE OF ‘BOOKLESSNESS’ SINCE 1994
Duffy Books in Homes is a not-for-profit literacy programme for schools in priority communities which aims to inspire a love of books in children, so they become adults who inspire a love of reading. The philosophy behind the programme is simple – to break the cycle of ‘booklessness’ and open doors to lifelong opportunities. Kids who can’t read become adults who can’t communicate and that’s a serious disadvantage in a world that operates on the written word.
The Duffy programme provides kids at ‘Duffy Schools’ with:
- Six brand-new books per child per year—books they get to choose and keep which helps build a sense of ownership and a love of reading
- A touring Theatre Show once a year which showcases the importance of reading and literacy through storytelling
- Role Models at School Assemblies twice a year- these Role Models are NZ authors & personalities, musicians, artists, radio and TV presenters who talk about their achievements and make the connection with reading
In some high EQI (formerly low-decile) schools, children have no books at home and those they receive through the programme are often their first. This impacts not just reading, but confidence, literacy and future success. New Zealand’s reading performance has declined for 20 years, dropping 10 places to 32 out of 50 in the Year 5 PIRLS study since 2010. Countries such as Australia and Spain have overtaken NZ. With literacy closely tied to future opportunities, this trend shows early reading support is essential, not just for literacy, but for equity and lasting change.
As New Zealand’s reading levels decline, the impact starts to becomes generational. For some Duffy kids, the books they receive through our programme are the only ones they own. That’s why your support matters. With government funding covering just a third of the books we provide, we rely on the generosity of individual donors, sponsors and funding partners to help us give every child the chance to read, grow and thrive.
By supporting Duffy Books in Homes, together, we can break the cycle of ‘booklessness’ and change lives, one book at a time.
media
