skip to main content

I want to...

Current filter:

Rubbish & Recycling Rubbish & Recycling

Parade 2016 - what a boomer!

A crowd of 10,000-plus turned out for the annual Blossom Parade on Saturday (September 10) and the weather stayed mostly fine, if a little chilly.

Near 50 floats lined up to wend their way from in front of the Hastings District Council building in Lyndon Rd, through Hastings, Heretaunga and Russell streets to Queen St, then, via Nelson, Heretaunga, Market and Eastbourne streets, back to Lyndon Rd.

The theme of this year’s parade, organised by Creative Hastings, was Buds, blossoms and blooms.

Creative Hastings manager Pitsch Leiser was very happy with the number, quality and diversity of the floats. He told media: The strength of this year’s parade is that it brings together the community, and you can really see the diversity of Hastings . . . It is the once occasion every year when you really get a sense of the wider community.”

The range covered countries, religions, ethnicities, sports and education organisations, business and dance groups.

The winners of the categories were: Best community float: Philippine Community of Hawke's Bay; Best natural float: Association of Sri Lankans in Hawke's Bay; Best artificial float: Hastings District Council; Best dressed float: Falun Dafa‎ Hawke's Bay; Most unusual: Waicare; Best commercial: Smile Haus; Best school: Rascals Playcentre; People's choice: Bay Batucada.

The parade dates back to 1950, when the first Blossom Festival, including the parade, was put on by the newly formed Greater Hastings Inc, to celebrate the start of the fruit season.

4 October 2017

Back to Archive

Loading...

Hastings District Council - Copyright © 2024 Hastings District Council

Disclaimers and Copyright
While every endeavour has been taken by the Hastings District Council to ensure that the information on this website is accurate and up to date, Hastings District Council shall not be liable for any loss suffered through the use, directly or indirectly, of information on this website. Information contained has been assembled in good faith. Some of the information available in this site is from the New Zealand Public domain and supplied by relevant government agencies. Hastings District Council cannot accept any liability for its accuracy or content. Portions of the information and material on this site, including data, pages, documents, online graphics and images are protected by copyright, unless specifically notified to the contrary. Externally sourced information or material is copyright to the respective provider.

© Hastings District Council - / +64 6 871 5000 / customerservice@hdc.govt.nz