Our History
It all started over 75 years ago...
Many cities worldwide host a Christmas parade to celebrate the festive season. The Christchurch Santa Parade has been a Canterbury tradition for over 75 years.
Where it began...
The Parade tradition in Christchurch was started by James Hay in 1947, named the Hay’s Christmas Pageant after his popular retail store “Hay’s”.
The Hay's pageant ran for many years with a few name changes along the way...
The Hay's Pageant became the Haywrights Parade which eventually became the Farmers Santa Parade before being donated to the city of Christchurch by Farmers Trading Company in 1991.
"SantaTainment" -
The Christchurch Children's Christmas Parade Trust
In 1991, a volunteer trust - The Christchurch Children’s Christmas Parade Trust (CCCPT) was formed to maintain the floats throughout the year and raise the funds needed to stage the annual event. Now known as "SantaTainment", the parade is still managed by the CCCPT today.
If you are interested in getting involved with the parade in any way, please fill in our contact form and we will get back to you. We are always looking for help in all aspects of running an event of this size.
The Parade Today...
From its inception, the Christchurch Santa Parade has grown to become one of the largest, best-loved Christmas parades in New Zealand and a must-see for the children of Christchurch.
A whole New experience...
In 2022 the traditional street parade was reinvented with a brand new “Show Parade” experience at the Canterbury Agricultural Park, creating a new Christmas tradition for the city - The Christchurch Christmas Show Parade. A festival and parade, with Entertainment, Amusement rides, a Christmas Market, Displays, Food vendors and more.
The first "Show Parade" held on November 26, 2023, was a huge success with over 30,000 people attending, and the popularity of the new event is only set to grow.
