Christmas in Auckland: Santa Parades, Costume Parties, and Summer Heat

I wrote this in 2016 or 2017 during the two years I lived in New Zealand. Some details — prices, hours, what’s open — may have changed, but the experience and my love for this place haven’t.

It’s crazy hard to keep up a blog in New Zealand in the summertime. The weather is getting warmer, the sun is out, and Christmas is in the air. Which is still deeply strange to me. My first Christmas in Auckland I was camping in the South Island. This year I’m in the city for the first time and it’s a whole different experience.

One thing I didn’t expect: Aucklanders dress up for Christmas. Not just nicer — in costumes. My coworker, a native Kiwi, said it’s a relatively new thing but you see office parties with reindeer antlers and elf hats and Santa costumes, and also full theme parties that feel almost like Halloween. We were walking down the street one evening behind a young woman in what looked like a white smock covered in pink cotton balls. We never figured out what she was supposed to be. She wasn’t entirely sober and was leaving a trail of pink cotton on the footpath behind her as she walked. Only in New Zealand.

If you’re in Auckland over Christmas there’s actually quite a bit to do. A few things worth knowing:

The Farmers Santa Parade runs through downtown Auckland in late November and is well worth a look. It’s nothing like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade but the crowds are real and the energy is great. We got lucky and the route went right under our apartment so we had a bird’s eye view. Check the Farmers website each year for the current date.

Franklin Road lights in Ponsonby is a genuine Auckland Christmas tradition and the one I’d most recommend. Most of the houses and some of the businesses go all out — lights, projections, the works. One house had an entire Christmas village scene filling the entire front room, visible through the window, complete with a toy train running through it. It’s an easy walk from the CBD but Franklin Road is on a hill so be prepared to climb. If you drive, bring patience — the queue can be long. Search “Franklin Road lights Auckland” each year for current details.

Smith & Caughey on Queen Street does an annual Christmas window display that’s been a CBD tradition for years. The theme changes every year so I won’t describe what I saw — just walk past and have a look. They also offer photos with Santa if you have little ones.

Karaka Lakes (roughly 20 Cornwall Place) has a neighbourhood light display worth the drive if you have a car. It’s not as centralised as Franklin Road but many houses get into it. There was a Mr Whippy ice cream truck parked there when we went which felt very right for a New Zealand Christmas in summer. Search “Karaka Lakes Christmas lights” each year for current details.