Creative Huntly, Waahi Whaanui Trust, and Huntly College joined forces on Saturday 6 December to deliver the Raahui Pookeka Christmas Festival – a large-scale community celebration that brought together tamariki, rangatahi, kaumaatua and whaanau from across both sides of Huntly.
Running from 11am to 4pm, the event combined the annual Huntly Christmas Parade with a full afternoon festival held on the Huntly College sports fields.
The day began in the town centre, where 16 floats lined up for the Christmas Parade, coordinated and managed by Creative Huntly. Floats travelled along Main Street, through Tumate Mahuta Drive, and over the Tainui Bridge before arriving at Huntly College, where they remained on display for public viewing and final judging.
The Festival itself offered something for everyone, with dedicated marae, tamariki, rangatahi and kaumaatua zones; craft stalls; market vendors; food trucks; free activities; and plenty of giveaways. The event attracted over 1,000 attendees, marking one of the most well-supported Christmas celebrations Raahui Pookeka has seen in recent years.
Float judging was carried out by three independent community judges: Eden Wawatai from the Huntly Community Board, Emily Thomas from Genesis Energy, and Michaela Petersen from Harcourts Huntly. Winners each received $300 and a trophy with awards presented to:
Best School Float: Kimihia School
Best Preschool Float: Whaanui Early Learning Centre
Best Business Float: 828 Boxing
Best Group Float: North Waikato Transport Trust
The festival also featured a Christmas Window Display Competition for Huntly businesses. Ten local stores took part, with more than 400 community votes cast. The Best Window Display award and $100 prize went to Huntly Library.
This collaborative kaupapa reflects the shared aspirations of all three organising groups — strengthening whanaungatanga and kotahitanga, celebrating cultural expression, and bringing together Huntly East and Huntly West through a united community event.
The success of this year’s festival sets a strong foundation for future celebrations, and organisers extend their thanks to all participants, volunteers, sponsors and whaanau who helped make the day so memorable.
