Xmas-New Year Carnival

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 2, 28 November 1947, Page 5

Xmas-New Year Carnival

Programme For Holiday Period Announced With the co-operation of sports and other organisations, the Whakatane Christmas-New Year Carnival committee has been able to arrange an attractive programme to keep the town bright over the holiday period. As is right at such a season, emphasis is on events for children at Christmas, but the biggest events scheduled will take place during the New Year carnival, which will include a grand procession through the town complete with decorated vehicles, and people in fancy dress.

Feature of the Christmas Eve celebrations will be the children’s gala, with prizes for fancy costumes, decorated trolleys, toy cars, tricycles, perambulators and bicycles. The parade is to assemble in Louvain street -and move through Commerce street, Lower and Upper Strand and Quay street to Bridger’s furniture factory. After the prize-winners have been selected, the parade will be re-formed and will march back to the Borough Council Chambers, where it will dismiss. In the event of wet weather the parade will terminate at the Winter Show building. On Boxing Day there is to be a children’s sports meeting at Ohope Beach. The Whakatane band will be in attendance, and there will be vocal items and action songs by Maori children, an aerobatic display by a visiting plane and a display by the Ohope Surf Club. That afternoon the Whakatane Rod and Gun Club will conduct a clay bird shoot, at which all sportsmen will be welcome.

On December 26 and 27 and January 1 and.2, the Whakatane Bowling Club will conduct its New Year tournament, and the Gladiolus Society’s first annual show will be held on December 29 in the Winter Show buildings.

Climax of the celebrations in the town will be the New Year’s Eve street carnival. At 7 p.m. the Pipe Band will commence a tour of the shopping area. From 7 to 8.30 o’clock the Whakatane Basketball championship for the Matatua Pennant will be played at George Street. A community sing led by the Young New Zealanders’ Club will start in George Street at 8.30 p.m. and carry on until 9.15. Meanwhile, at 9 o’clock, decorated vehicles will assemble in Merritt street, adult pedestrians in fancy dress, will assemble on the lawn at the rock, and children • in fancy dress will assemble on the lawn, at the .Fire Brigade station, where they will be collected by trucks. At 9.15 the' grand procession will start through the town. A Maori concert entertainment will start in George street at 9.45 p.m., leading up to a Maori hangi at 11. At midnight the New .Year will be welcomed in in the traditional manner and, at 12.15 a.m. the Mayor, Mr B. S. Barry, will present the prizes. There will be dancing in the street from 12.30, and for those who prefer their dancing in a more conventional setting, there will be a grand New Year’s Eve dance going on all evening at the Winter Show building. Chief attraction for New Year’s Day will be the pipe band rally and Caledonian sports at Ohope.