Superheroes invade Hamilton

Garden Place rang with the excited cries of children as the central city was invaded by superheroes Saturday at the Children’s Day Superhero Carnival.

To the delight of many children, Elsa from Disney’s Frozen made an appearance at the event, as well as Luke Skywalker and the Stormtroopers from Star Wars. Children beamed with smiles as they posed for photographs with their favourite characters.

The family orientated event “attracts over 5000 people” explained Gameedah Jonas, the children’s and teen’s librarian at Garden Place library. The main organisers of the annual event are the Hamilton Children and Families Trust, as well as “about nine different organisations” including the Garden Place library and the Waikato Museum, Jonas said.

Hamilton parents Kristina and Kelly Laird said the event was well organised. Kristina said she really liked the fact that it was a free event with plenty of fun for families and not lots of people trying to sell you something.

Dressed in their superhero outfits, Brianna, 8, said her highlight of the day was the “free activities at the museum and Elsa”, while her brother Cohen, 6, said his highlight was the game of “golf with the apple at the end.”

There were many popular activities for families on the day including bouncy castles, free entry to Exscite at the museum, and many outstanding performances on the stage in Garden Place.

Hamilton mother Shara Cairncross said the performances were very good. “It was awesome to see everyone come together to support this event.” Her children Ayla, 6, and Taye, 4, really enjoyed watching the children on stage. “I would say it was inspiring for them to see other children getting up and having a good time. It was multicultural which is educational for them to gain perspective on the world around them,” Cairncross said.

The weather did not rain on the Superheroes Parade, with the sunshine arriving just in time for the event and staying long enough for the Superheroes to return to their headquarters – their homes in Hamilton.

Check out Shontelle’s other article on the Children’s Day Carnival here