Tomorrow, December 6, is the day Santa comes to town. The Seeka Te Puke Christmas Float Parade will leave its gathering point behind the Te Puke Memorial Hall at 11am, led by the Te Puke and District Highland Pipe Band.

The EPIC Te Puke organised event has a Steam Punk and Vintage theme. EPIC Te Puke’s Sally Benning said close to 30 entrants had registered for the parade, slightly up on the numbers last year.

Traditionally, the seat next to Santa is reserved for someone deserving of the honour – this year Blayde Arnold will be the jolly red man’s sidekick.

The 4-year-old, who featured in Te Puke News last month, was born with Emanuel Syndrome, an extremely rare chromosomal disorder. It disrupts normal development and affects many parts of the body. Infants with Emanuel Syndrome have weak muscle tone, are slow to gain weight and their development is significantly delayed.

Parents Marissa Mason and Scott Arnold will sit with Blayde in Santa’s sleigh.

Parade organisers reached out to mum Marissa to ask if he would like to sit with Santa.

Mason said when they asked, she burst into tears. “I’d spoken about wanting to be known in our community and how that was one of my goals, and that just made it all feel real and just so kind as well.”

Last month, a special fundraising event, Blayde’s World, raised $13,000 to go towards the preschooler’s ongoing care.

Western Bay of Plenty District deputy mayor Margaret Murray-Benge will be part of the parade, riding in a rare 1927 Oakland Roadster car owned by Aaron Moore. Road closures will be in place for the parade.

At the end of the parade there will be a Steamed Punk Christmas market in Jubilee Park, with the parade’s prize winners announced and trophies presented on the stage at 12.30pm.

The market will feature stalls and food trucks with plenty of opportunities to grab something to eat and do a little Christmas shopping.