Tauranga to get in the Christmas spirit next week

The Tauranga city centre is set to get an injection of festive spirit from next week with colorful installations appearing around the inner-city streets in the lead up to Christmas.

Tauranga City Council and the Incubator Creative Hub will join efforts for the third consecutive year to bring a local community and arts focused buzz to the city centre by showcasing a range of outdoor kowhaiwhai styled Christmas trees, large Christmas crackers and street flags.

Twelve plywood pohutukawa trees designed by Ashlei Luckman-Taupaki will be re-decorated by local community groups including education and health providers.

More than 800 individually designed Christmas tree baubles will soon adorn the trees in a public art display for everyone to enjoy.

Project Lead at the Incubator Tanya Trass is very excited about the artwork that has been flooding in over the past few weeks.

'It has been a busy few weeks organising artworks here at the Incubator and visiting community groups involved in painting and decorating.

'We've been in contact with some amazing community groups such as Gifts of Recovery and Voyce Whakarongo Mai, and you'll just need to come down to the city centre to see the trees they've decorated and to learn more about what these groups do in our community."

Where in the city centre you will find Christmas tree art installations, and giant Advent Calendar in the lead up to Christmas.

In addition, for its second year, Tauranga City Council and Downtown Tauranga will be installing the giant advent calendar in Red Square for everyone to enjoy while visiting the city centre.

The exterior image has again been created by Rochelle O'Loan who has continued the theme from last year with the addition of some cheeky elves.

Local community groups and artists have also been the major contributors in creating the displays, with one window per day being opened starting from December 1.

Like the traditional cardboard advent calendar, each window has a unique display representative of the community group or organisation that made it.

Downtown Tauranga representative Fiona Corkery is thrilled with the way this year's advent calendar has come together.

'What makes this advent calendar unique and special, apart from its sheer size, is the wonderful depictions of what each of these community organisations and groups stand for.

There are some great stories captured and the first of them will be revealed on December 1, when it's officially opened,” says Fiona.

Also set to captivate audiences are twenty-one life sized mannequins showcasing iconic Christmas fashion made from mainly recycled items.

Created by local artists, they will form part of a dynamic Christmas exhibition that opens in Goddards Shopping Centre on Saturday, November 23, and will be open to the public through until Christmas. There will be a limited number on display at the Piccadilly Arcade.

A collaborative project between Tauranga City Council, Downtown Tauranga and Goddards Shopping Centre, this unique exhibition will be a must to visit with plenty to delight across the generations.

Upcoming Christmas parades and events:
Pakn'Save Papamoa Kiwiana Xmas Parade – Sunday, November 24, 7 Gravatt Road, Papamoa Unlimited
Trustpower Christmas Parade – Saturday, November 30
Followed by CCS' Disability Action, Celebrate us, a family friendly event and concert – Tauranga Waterfront. (Little Big Markets will be there 9am to 3pm.)
Tauranga's Christmas in the Park – Blake Park, Mount Maunganui, Saturday, December 7
A Night Before Christmas – Bethlehem, Bethlehem College Field, Saturday, December 21
Christmas Carols on the Waterfront – Edgewater Fan, Tauranga Waterfront, Sunday, December 22

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1 comment

Well I hope

Posted on 15-11-2019 18:43 | By earlybird

that this year we have some proper christmas decorations around the CBD because the last few years it hasn't felt christmassy at all and It's been a huge disappointment.


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