Kids & Family
Invercargill is gearing up for a Matariki Festival in the heart of Invercargill’s City Centre on Saturday 1 July.
City Centre Co-ordinator Kari Graber said Esk Street Mall will be closed to traffic and transformed for the day to host the Festival, which will incorporate a number of traditional Maori arts and activities, along with great Kiwi entertainment.
Highlights for the day include a street market and food trucks in Esk Street from 10am-3pm, Kapa Haka performances, weaving workshops, poi making workshops and carving demonstrations by Steve Solomon and Oti Murray.
There will be live music throughout the day, with a Fire Show in Esk Street at 5.30pm.
The Invercargill Public Library’s Community Connections Co-ordinator, Jay Coote, will be hosting the Stardome at the Scottish Hall from 1pm-5pm.
All activities are free to the public.
The event is the latest initiative by the Invercargill City Council, partnering with the community and retailers, to encourage patronage of the city centre.
“June through to August are traditionally slower months for retailers and my hope is this will help stimulate sales, as well as provide a great community mid-winter event,” Ms Graber said.
“Retailers have been very positive about the event and have been decorating their store windows in support.”
Many shops have decorated their windows with the hundreds of kites made by local children, or with lights and stars.
Maps showing the location of the kites on display are available on the Invercargill City Council’s website www.icc.govt.nz , on Facebook, or can be collected from the Library.
Activities for the day include:
Main Events on Esk Street Mall
- 10am-3pm Matariki Market
- 10am-5pm Food Trucks
- 12pm-2pm and 3pm- 5pm Weaving Workshops
- Kapa Haka performance, Esk Street Pocket Park
- 11am-1pm and 3pm-5pm Poi Making Workshops, 76 Esk Street
- 11am-5pm Carving demonstrations by Oti Murry and Steve Solomon
- 11am-5pm Cook Islands Dancing Group, Esk Street Pocket Park
- 2pm Foveaux Harmony Chorus, Esk Street Pocket Park
- 1pm Lady Friday, Esk Street Pocket Park
- 11am Cook Island Drummers, Esk Street Pocket Park
- 5.30pm Fire Show