Festive fun around the region

The lights are up in Wellsford and there are plenty of other festive activities planned. Even though his usual parade had to be cancelled, Santa will still be paying a call to the Heritage Rest Home on December 16, as well as to one or two local schools and kindies in the run-up to Christmas. He will also be available for photos in the grotto at Hobbs Gifts & Homewares in Rodney Street from Monday, December 20 until Christmas Eve, from 3pm to 5pm. Santa does ask that masks are worn and bring your own phone or camera.

Wellsford Plus is running a Shop Local, Eat Local, Support Local, Love Local campaign, where people who spend $20 or more with three of the 25 participating local businesses will go into a draw to win prizes – a $150 Hammer Hardware voucher, a $100 food hamper from Wellsford Four Square and a pair of Red Band gumboots from PGG Wrightson. Entry forms and receipts can be left in the wishing well in Hobbs Gifts & Homewares until 5pm on December 20.

Wellsford Plus also has a children’s colouring competition running until December 20, with prizes of art supplies and Christmas treats in four age group categories – 0 to 2; 2 to 5; 6 to 9; and 10 to 12 years. Judging will be carried out by local artist Danique Bowmar and every entrant will receive a chocolate Santa. Entries can be left in the well at Hobbs.

And, last but not least, there’s a new competition for residents to decorate their letterboxes for Christmas. Organised by Denise Pearson of Mike Pero Wellsford, the contest has Prezzy Cards worth $150, $100 and $50 for the best-dressed mail boxes.

“Our letterboxes are a blank canvas just waiting for a clever makeover, and what better time than Christmas?” she says. “There are plenty of talented designers out there. Come on Wellsford, let’s get creative.”

To enter, people should take a photo of their festive letterbox and either email it to denise.pearson@mikepero.com or drop it into the Mike Pero office at 195 Rodney Street by Wednesday, December 15. Winners will be decided by public vote on Facebook.

There’s also a best dressed Christmas letterbox competition in Maungaturoto, with a prize to the value of $500 for the winner and $250 and $100 for second and third places. Running in parallel with that is a best dressed window contest with the same prizes. Organisers say decorating a whole house with lights is a big ask, so that’s why they are asking local people to focus on just one window instead.

Entries for both the letterbox and window contests should be emailed to Paul at thebestletterbox@gmail.com by Thursday, December 16.

Town centre shops and businesses are also getting in on the act, with competitions for the best dressed shop window and for shop “door trees”. These are stylised triangular Christmas trees made from old doors by Kenny Finlayson, which shops are decorating. Shoppers are being invited to vote for their favourite tree and there are prizes for the most popular tree and three lucky voters. Votes for best shop tree can be left in a special box at Fergus Electrical, while entrants for the best dressed shop window should email Terri Donaldson at kenny.terri@xtra.co.nz. Terri says huge thanks are owed to Fonterra Maungaturoto for sponsoring all the prizes and allowing everyone to shop local and support local businesses.

Santa may not be able to go on parade in Mangawhai, but he will be available to take photographs with children at the Movie Theatre Hall at the Mangawhai Museum on Saturday, December 11 from 10am to 1pm.

There will be a twilight Christmas market in the Kaiwaka St John Hall on Friday, December 10 at 5pm with local makers selling their crafty creations.

Also in Kaiwaka, the Four Square will match any donation of a non-perishable food item to the Kaiwaka foodbank with a similar food item from its shelves.

In Matakana the Village Farmers Market is open again on Saturday mornings, 8am to 1pm.