Superheroes flooded into Pāpāmoa on Sunday morning for the Pak’nSave Pāpāmoa Superhero Santa Parade.

“We had over 100 superheroes in the parade today,” said Pāpāmoa Unlimited events and marketing manager Julia Manktelow. “We were flooded with superheroes.”

Heroes ranged from classics such as Batman and Superman to the pups from Paw Patrol.

Manktelow, Tauranga’s longest serving mainstreet manager has been running what is Tauranga city’s official Christmas parade, in Pāpāmoa for seven years, with this year being the tenth time the parade has been held in the suburb.

“It was incredible. It was a great vibe,” Manktelow said. “The road was lined all the way from Dickson Rd to the Pāpāmoa Plaza.”

“Pak’nSave Pāpāmoa are our main sponsor and have been supporting the parade for 10 years. We’ve been able to do it because of them.

Mount Tyres won the Best Commercial Float in the 2024 Pak'nSave Pāpāmoa Superhero Santa Parade. Photo / Supplied

Manktelow, dressed as Bat Girl, was assisted by Jodie Kendall, dressed as Wonder Woman, and her daughter Amaleigh Manktelow dressed as Super Girl.

“We had 35 floats this year,” said Manktelow. “And it’s the best calibre of floats we’ve ever had.”

In the 2020 Toyland-themed parade there were 48 floats, with numbers dropping to 30 in 2022.

Current Church had real sheep in its nativity-themed float at the 2024 Pak'nSave Pāpāmoa Superhero Santa Parade. Photo / Supplied

Police led the way in Sunday’s parade with Santa bringing up the rear.

“Santa was brought in on the Guardian of the Galaxy sleigh, with the solar system mounted around him.”

Businesses, kindergartens, sports groups, bands, emergency services and religious communities were among those represented by floats and groups participating.

“There was such a cool vibe amongst the crowd. All were very happy.”

Wairakei Kindergarten's float at the 2024 Pak'nSave Pāpāmoa Superhero Santa Parade featured all sorts of superheroes. Photo / Supplied

The parade kicked off at 10.30am from Dickson Rd at Alexander Place following a route along Dickson Rd to Domain Rd before finishing at Pāpāmoa Plaza around 12.30pm. There, Santa continued to meet children in the plaza’s magical grotto.

Manktelow said the best overall float award went to Maungatapu Kindergarten, which also won it the last two years. Before that Blue Cottage Early Childhood Centre had been three-time champions.

“Triple threat! Maungatapu Kindergarten are just bringing it every year, and this year they lifted their game.”

The Falun Dafa group parading in the 2024 Pak'nSave Pāpāmoa Superhero Santa Parade. Photo / Supplied

The judges were Pāpāmoa Unlimited chairwoman and Pāpāmoa Plaza manager Leah Sutton, Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford, and Pāpāmoa Pak’nSave’s head of HR Ian Parata.

“The best educational float went to Wairakei Kindergarten, best commercial float went to Mount Tyres with their Gothum City float from Batman, and best not-for-profit float went to Current Church.”

Mount Tyres won the Best Commercial Float in the 2024 Pak'nSave Pāpāmoa Superhero Santa Parade. Photo / Supplied

Mount Tyres have been lifting their game too each year and are now also regarded as a “triple threat” having won Best Commercial Float for their fairytale float in 2023, and in 2022 for their van topped with balloons and a large Christmas tree made from a stack of painted tyres carried on the back of their ute.

“We did it again!!!! We won best commercial float so proud of our team for the hard work it was an awesome morning,” wrote a Mount Tyre spokesperson on their Facebook page.

Current Church, which usually holds a service on Sunday mornings at Pāpāmoa College and is known for holding services and baptisms at local reserves and the beach, decided that their Sunday service would be participating in the parade again.

They returned not only with a nativity scene, but carrying live sheep on board their float. They have now won best not-for-profit float six times during the parade’s history, including on Sunday, and in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022.

Current Church had real sheep in its nativity-themed float at the 2024 Pak'nSave Pāpāmoa Superhero Santa Parade. Photo / Supplied

New groups participated in Sunday’s parade, and not all came from around the Tauranga area.

“The Latin Association were new to the parade this year. The Hare Krishnas who are dressed so colourfully came down from Auckland. And the Falun Dafa came from all over the country. We also had Life Education and local businesses.”

Julia Manktelow with the Best Overall Float trophy. Photo / Supplied

Police, Coastguard, brigades from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and the local community patrol are always crowd favourites.

“They are our local heroes,” Manktelow said.

“Pāpāmoa senior rugby team helped us with crowd control, and we’re so grateful for the community standing by us and bringing smiles to our events.

“Merry Christmas to everyone from Pāpāmoa and we look forward to bringing more smiles next year.”