A Day of Magic, Music & Steampunk Christmas Spirit in Te Puke

On Saturday 6th December, Te Puke’s main street transformed into a world of brass gears, whirring gadgets, leather goggles and vintage charm as the Seeka Te Puke Christmas Float Parade rolled into town. With the streets lined with families and festive cheer, the community was treated to over 20 judged float entries across three categories, more than 20 individual vehicles, and even a Christmas elf riding a unicycle for good measure!

This year’s Steampunk & Vintage theme was embraced with extraordinary imagination. From handcrafted props to beautifully coordinated costumes, we were absolutely blown away by the thought, detail, and resourcefulness poured into each float. Our judging panel also remarked on the incredible effort from every group — especially the enthusiasm and adorable outfits from those riding the floats.

Congratulations to our 2025 SEEKA Te Puke Christmas Float Parade Winners!

A huge thank you to everyone who poured their heart, creativity, and Christmas spirit into bringing this parade to life. The results are as follows: 

Community Organisations – Sponsored by AFFCO Rangiuru

1st Te Puke Baptist Church 

2nd Te Puke Scouts 

3rd Te Puke Playcentre 

HC Aqua Belles – Te Puke Swim School 

Education Category – Sponsored by Towbar Guy

1st Fairhaven School 

2nd Otamarakau School 

3rd Rangiuru School 

HC Te Ranga School 

Business & Commercial Category – Sponsored by Zespri International

1st McLeod Cranes Hiabs & Transport 

2nd Te Puke Dance Studio 

3rd St Andrews Preschool 

HC Seeka

DMS Progrowers Supreme Theme Award

FAIRHAVEN SCHOOL – Winners of the Te Puke Jewellers Parade Trophy 

The judges were truly impressed by the outstanding detail of the Fairhaven float. It was clear that countless hours of creativity and collaboration had gone into its design. Their float was described as “outstanding detail — loved it, fabulous!” 

A massive congratulations to all participants for making this event unforgettable.

Every smile in the crowd was proof of the incredible creativity and entertainment your floats brought to the parade.

Steamed Punk Christmas Market – The Festivities Continue

The fun didn’t end with the parade! The celebrations rolled straight into Jubilee Park for the Steamed Punk Christmas Market, featuring 30+ market stalls and food vendors, offering everything from artisan crafts to delicious treats. 

Prizegiving took place on the main stage, presented by Deputy Mayor Margaret Murray-Benge alongside Santa himself. 

The entertainment lineup was spectacular, showcasing incredible local talent: 

Carol Power Voice Studio vocalists:

• Bailey & Ellie Lee – Santa, Can’t You Hear Me 
• Sophie Bainbridge – Unstoppable 
• MC Rosalie Dale – All I Want for Christmas & Hallelujah 

& the Inclusion Dance Crew – who absolutely slayed the stage, followed by a beautiful solo singing performance

And with the summer heat cranking up, the Te Puke Scouts dunk tank offered a very welcome way to cool down! 

Other highlights included: 

• Free face painting with Facepainting by Jackie 
• Western Bay of Plenty District Council drop-in consultation on the new Waste Water Treatment Plant 
• COLAB play trailer — a hit with kids and adults alike 

It was fantastic to see so many groups, organisations, and businesses come together to kick off the festive season in true Te Puke style. 

Thank you to our Incredible Team!

Events like this don’t happen without a village, and we are overflowing with gratitude for our amazing crew!

Parade volunteers – Suemi, Janine, Rachel, Chloe, Jodie, Marie, Mike (LJ), Aaron, Antoine, Jenny, Ange, Todd

First Aider – Coral 

Parade Marshals – Peter Miller, Paul Thomas & Steve Dale 

Our Judges – Pamela Chapman, Ann ter Steege & Grant Dally 

Event Photographer – Emma Faire Photography 

Santa – The incredible Wayne Henderson

Our Fabulous Town Crier(s) – Glenn Ward & Son

A special thank you to Blayde, who joined us as Santa’s little helper. His joy and excitement were absolutely heart-melting, and we hope he enjoyed the ride as much as we loved having him.

A huge shout-out to Dale Snell, who ran all the logistics at the market — we could not have done it without you! 

And finally, an enormous paki paki for our superstar MC and volunteer Rosalie Dale. At just 11 years old, she blew us all away with her confidence, leadership, work ethic, and incredible talent.

(Our sincere apologies if we’ve missed anyone — please know how truly grateful we are.) 

What should next year’s theme be?

As we wrap up an EPIC day of community, creativity, and Christmas cheer… we want to hear from you! 

What theme would YOU love to see for the 2026 parade? 

Drop your ideas — and let’s start dreaming up something amazing!