Community Spirit Soars for Gore's Christmas Celebrations

Get your tinsel ready - the Christmas Carnival and Parade are returning to Gore on Sunday 10 December.

See Santa and his friends in the parade along Gore’s Main Street from 12 noon, before heading to the Christmas Carnival in the Gore Gardens and adjacent reserve until 4:30pm. There will be live entertainment, roving performers, a variety of food trucks and most excitingly, new carnival rides.

The Gore District Council’s Senior Events Coordinator Jessica Swan said new sponsorship means there would be even bigger attractions available free of charge.

“We’re thrilled to have partnered with Mercury this year. It has generously covered the costs of two new amusement rides, along with the popular Rat Race from last year.

“It is entirely thanks to Mercury that children will be able to play on the chair-o-plane, merry-go-round and Rat Race at no cost.”

Active Southland and Harcourts have also got into the Christmas spirit and were sponsoring the bouncy castles and bumper balls respectively.

“Thanks to the sponsorship of these local businesses, we can bring a fantastic event to the public in an affordable way. The enthusiasm they have for the community is infectious and we’re delighted to be able to work with them,” Miss Swan said.

These much-loved annual events are the perfect opportunity for local clubs, schools, groups and businesses to show off their creative flair to their community.

“The Santa Parade and Christmas Carnival are the biggest events on our calendar, with an estimated 3,000 – 5,000 people attending last year. Getting involved in either event as a parade participant or carnival fundraiser is a great way to get your group in front of the community”.

To participate in the Santa Parade, head to the Gore District Council’s website and follow the link under ‘Alerts’ on the home page.

Those interested in getting involved in the Christmas Carnival can contact Ms Swan at [email protected] to find out more.