Franklin gets festive

Forget the commute into central Auckland for Christmas lights; Franklin has its very own Christmas attractions.

While the motorway and Auckland CBD are buzzing with traffic and long queues, there are many closer ways for residents to get their festive fix this year.

Christmas parades will be held in Pokeno at 6.30pm on Friday, December 5, with Clevedon, Tuakau, and Waiuku all on Saturday, December 6.

Paerata Rise is lighting up the Franklin region with a line-up of events that bring all the magic, without the mission across town.

Between a Christmas movie night screening of The Santa Clause, a community-wide Light Up the Town competition, and a neighbourhood 12 Days of Christmas celebration, organisers are “quietly confident” Franklin might just give Franklin Road a run for its money this year.

This year’s Light Up the Town is shaping up to be a full neighbourhood spectacle, with an entire community of homes lighting up their streets, including some seriously impressive setups like this one here. Locals are already putting the finishing touches on their displays, with a stack of prizes up for grabs, including a $1,000 Mitre 10 grand prize. Judging begins on December 5.

There will be a screening of The Santa Clause film under the stars next to Rise’n Shine Cafe on December 12. Bring a blanket, some snacks, and settle in for a cosy night.

From December 13 to 24, Paerata Rise will host 12 Days of Christmas, with a new festive activity each day, from candy cane hunts to horse rides – and Santa making a special appearance every night.

Meanwhile, in Waiuku, a week-long festive celebration will be held in the Waiuku War Memorial Hall from December 17 to 24. The Christmas walkthrough display will feature more than 150 handcrafted lanterns, decorated trees, a make-a-wish workshop, delicious food, and other stalls.

Other Franklin events include Christmas at Buckland Hall on December 6, with both the Karaka Christmas Market and the Pukekohe Christmas Fair on December 13.

• Santa Claus will be visiting The Warehouse Pukekohe on Saturday, December 6 and The Warehouse Takanini on Sunday, December 7. There will be plenty of opportunities for kids to have interactive moments, giving them the chance to tell Santa about their wish list and why they deserve to be on his nice list this year. Each family will get free, printed Santa photos to take home.
• Check out www.franklintimes.co.nz/whats-on to see our regularly updated list of events across South Auckland and North Waikato. Got an event to list? Email info@times.co.nz with all the details.