Decorations spread festive cheer in city

Christmas is going to be hard to miss this year in Nelson, after a nine-metre tree was installed on the Church Steps.

Decorations started going up last week, including wreaths and Christmas flags, and the final touch has now been made with the installation of the tree.

The Nelson City Council and Nelson Santa Parade Trust worked together to secure the tree, and assembled it with members of the Whakatū Rotary Club at the weekend.

Nelson Santa Parade Trust chairperson Trevor Marshall said the trust was pleased to be working with the council to bring some festive spirit to the city.

Plans are also under way for the Nelson Santa Parade, held by the Nelson Santa Parade Trust, to run on December 12. Later dates have been secured if that date is disrupted.

Santa Claus himself will also be visiting town at some Covid19-controlled events.

Santa will be visiting the Stoke Library on December 10 from 3.30pm to 4.30pm, and Nelson’s Elma Turner Library on December 11 from 11am to noon. Both events will have craft activities and story-time sessions.

The council has committed to supporting the Santa parade trust with an annual $15,000 grant for the next three years.

Nelson mayor Rachel Reese has also given a $5000 donation from the Mayoral Fund to the Fifeshire Foundation’s Big Give appeal, which supplies Christmas packages of food, toys or supermarket vouchers to people and whānau struggling during the festive season.

The Whakatū Rotary Community Christmas Dinner, which last year fed more than 200 people, has also been granted $10,000 from the council’s Community Events Fund.

Santa’s

Grotto