The holiday decorations on Franklin Road. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
Residents of an Auckland street famous for its festive lights say the tradition is losing its sparkle.
For 30 years, Franklin Road in Ponsonby has blessed the city, as almost every home is decked out with Christmas decorations.
But now residents are fed up with street vendors who they say are ruining the tradition.
The lights are switched on from 1 December until Christmas Eve, something Franklin Road resident Roscoe Thorby started in 1993.
But now street vendors selling balloons, lights and food put pressure on visitors to spend money, he said.
"They're entirely not related to the street and they are selling rubbish. They're taking advantage of the residents and they're taking advantage of the parents."
Roscoe Thorby says street vendors are going against the philosophy of Franklin Road. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
Thorby said the opportunistic hawkers were dimming the tradition's philosophy and, more importantly, the holiday spirit.
"What we do comes from the heart and it's meant to be a free gift so that parents can come along, at an expensive time of the year, and do something fun with the kids and not have to reach into their pockets for money.
"This pressure of what's happening with the street traders, that have started coming into the area, is the little kids are suddenly seeing sparkly balloons and neon things and starting to pressure their parents into buying, which is exactly the opposite of what we've set out to do."
He said street vendors were nothing new, but this year there were more of them, and they were more stubborn.
Other residents have given Thorby the nickname 'The Sherriff' for his determination to shoo away the vendors.
But despite his efforts, they aren't budging.
"It's like that game where you hit a puppet on one side and all of a sudden he pops up out of another, so as soon as you talk to one lot and ask them to leave, another lot pops up behind them."
Thorby said residents were already on the brink of packing it all in.
"The residents are now at the stage of saying 'if this continues we're out of here, we're going to turn off our lights,' and that will be the end of the event and that's a great shame for the city but I understand it. I agree with them."
Residents are already putting up with long, noisy nights as traffic is jammed across Ponsonby and thousands walk past their homes.
Street vendors are being criticised by residents of Franklin Road for commercialising a free event. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
Dona White was the first to light up her home on the street back in 1993, but now she and her neighbours are getting sick of strangers profiting from their work.
"They want to be givers and they're joyful but there's a certain element of traffic and people and this and that and then you see all of a sudden it turns into a big trade fair and everybody's selling on your doorstep then people get a bit unnerved."
Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
Her husband Gavin White wants Auckland Council to step in and deal with the hawkers.
"I mean, they have compliance officers and noise control and that sort of thing, but it's two weeks of the year that it's a problem. The next week and a half are going to be the busiest and if they have some presence that would be great," he said.
Franklin Road residents say choirs and bands are welcome to entertain pedestrians along the street. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
Pedestrians checking out the lights on Tuesday night tended to agree with the residents.
"It's expensive stuff," said one woman, "for families to be confronted with their children that expect to have something flash."
"Our two have just conned their father, as usual."
"Probably starting to detract from it a little bit, but I don't know [about] 'bothered'," said a man, "not particularly, but wouldn't want any more of them".
RNZ spotted about half a dozen vendors on the street, however, all of them refused to be interviewed.
Thousands come to the famous street every night in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
