Council introduces "A Little Christmas at Mitchell Park"

Whakatāne District Council have a family-friendly afternoon full of activities planned at Mitchell Park next month.

Their new event, "A Little Christmas at Mitchell Park" is taking place on December 13th following on from the Whakatāne Christmas Parade.

Events coordinator Kristen Davies says they've heard from the public that they would like to have more Christmas events.

The event runs from 12-4pm which Davies says makes it a perfect follow-on activity from the parade which begins at 11am.

"We're working alongside the Christmas parade to make the day extra special. The idea is that after enjoying the parade, people can head down to Mitchell Park for the afternoon of festive fun and community connection."

"There will be live music from talented local musicians, interactive stalls from community groups like Whakatane Kiwi Trust, Bike Trust Whakatane, and Whakatane Interact Group offering games, face painting, card making."

"There's even a bike giveaway for an adult bike and a kid's bike, thanks to Bike Trust Whakatane."

We'll also have some food vendors, picnic areas, and local market stalls; perfect for picking up Christmas gifts. And of course we'll be working behind the scenes with Santa's helpers to sprinkle plenty of Christmas magic throughout the park."

Davies says that Mitchell Park has recently been redeveloped to create a welcoming, user-friendly space.

"We wanted to showcase the park as a vibrant community hub."

"If it goes well, we'd love to see it become an annual event, or potentially become an even bigger event. And maybe even one day getting back to that big Christmas in the park that we used to have in Whakatane."

Anyone interested in being part of the event is asked to email kristen.davies@whakatane.govt.nz.