Huge crowd enjoys festive Starlight Parade

December 8th, 2012
[by David Armstrong]

Possibly the biggest crowd ever - undoubtedly over half the population of Motueka - enjoyed last night's Starlight Parade held in ideal weather down High Street.

The 40-plus floats and themed groups paraded down the street between crowds three- or four-deep in places, while Christmas and pop music, fire sirens and the pipe and brass bands made for a truly festive atmosphere.

Preceded by carnival activities such as the ferris wheel, and the spectacular arrival of three parachutists onto Decks Reserve, the parade went without a hitch. Last year's problems with long gaps between floats and a late ending were fully ironed out, thanks to the fantastic organisational work of Lori Keller, Howie Timms and the Our Town Motueka team.

Thanks also to New World for again sponsoring the event, and all the groups that made the effort to prepare floats and add vigour and good cheer to the parade. Here are some photos from the evening. And of the one of the prize-winning teams, the Zumba group, which really got the crowd going.

The pipe band led the parade with stirring Scottish favourites

Pre-parade entertainment at the museum forecourt	MC and judges above Whitwells building
The long, tall Christmas fairy	Laura Ingram kindy kids
Scout cubs	Santa's workshop
Our librarians as never seen before in public	Church of Christ
Rudolf Steiner schoolchildren	Zumba gets the crowd going with Gangnam Style
A touch of real class	The brass band in more casual mode
Cartwheeling gymnasts from Brooklyn

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