All the essential information you will need for Parade Day.
farmers santa parade: sunday 24th november 2024
Postponement Date: Sunday 1st December 2024
Pre-parade: 12pm – 1pm
Parade: 1.00pm – 2.30pm
Santa’s Party: 2:30pm – 5:00pm
#FarmersSantaParade
www.facebook.com/FarmersSantaParade
Parade Route
The Parade Route is 1.6km long and takes approximately 1 hour to pass any given point.
Top Tip: The best (unknown) viewing spots are Mayoral Drive between Cook Street and Queen Street and Customs Street East. There is usually ample space to even lay down a picnic blanket and then wander either to Santa’s Party or the transport hub afterward!
Road Closures
All inner city roads are closed between 11am and 5pm on Sunday 24 November 2024. People are advised to get into the city before 11am.
parade info
Transport
Get to the city centre this Sunday for the Farmers Santa Parade by bus, train, or ferry. Kids under 13 travel for free, but over 5s will need a registered HOP card. Please note, that no flags at height or balloons are permitted on the train. Visit AT.govt.nz/events to find out more.
Postponement Date
In the event of adverse weather, a postponement decision will be announced by 9am, Sunday 24 November on the Parade website and Facebook page. If postponed, the Parade will take place on Sunday 1 December.
The Honour line
A safety line will be painted along the Parade route. The Police ask that all Parade spectators stay behind the line while watching the Parade!
Parade Collection
There will be a collection for Surf Life Saving New Zealand pre-parade so please give generously.
PRE-PARADE
Getting you into the spirit of the Farmers Santa Parade, we have a fabulous lineup of pre-parade entertainers, including Christmas choirs, bands, and interactive characters as a prelude to the big show.
Pre-Parade runs from 12pm – 1pm, so get in early for a good viewing spot!
SANTA’S PARTY
After the Parade join us in Aotea Square from 2:30pm-5:00pm for incredible stage entertainment, amusement rides, delicious food, and activities for the whole family.
Check back later for the full stage line-up.
HISTORY
The Farmers Santa Parade began 90 years ago in 1933. Back then, thousands of parents and children lined the footpaths to witness Auckland’s first real Christmas parade.
The Parade was led by several highly decorated carts pulled by happily adorned horses that were accompanied by a pack of colourful characters such as Waggles and Goggles, Man and the Giant and The Big Fiddle.
In 1991, Farmers gifted the Santa Parade to Auckland Council, and the Auckland Children’s Christmas Parade Trust was formed.
Today the Farmers Santa Parade attracts 100,000’s of spectators, 4,000 participants and over 200 items of Christmas magic over a 1.6km route.
The Parade may have got bigger and brighter, but the philosophies remain the same as those introduced by Farmers founder, Robert Laidlaw in 1933 – a gift of fantasy and fanfare for the children of the city.
Click here to to watch our 1985 Farmers Santa Parade, and soak up the nostalgia!
