Thursday, November 30, 2017
SINGING sisters Daughters of Ally, Jessie and Georgie Matthews, entertain the crowd during last year’s Lantern Festival, part of the Opotiki summer festival. File photo D3099-35
Ross McCullough
THIS year’s summer festival in Opotiki is shaping up to be the biggest yet with more funding secured to run it.
The last of the funding, $20,000 from the Southern Trust, was confirmed last Thursday, bringing the total funds to run the event to almost $50,000, Opotiki i-SITE acting manager Joseph Hayes said.
As well as the Southern Trust funding, the festival had received $20,000 from the Lion Foundation, $4500 from the Eastern Bay Energy Trust, and Opotiki New World owner operator Jimmy Heal who had sponsored vouchers and prizes to the value of between $3500 and $4000.
“We’re pretty lucky with our sponsors,” Mr Hayes said.
The Opotiki i-SITE manages the annual summer-long event on behalf of the Opotiki District Council.
He said the total funding secured was on par or above what would normally be received, and Opotiki could look forward to probably one of the biggest summer festivals that has been run to date.
The line-up for this summer’s festival promises to be as popular as ever with even a new event to be tried out.
The new event, a gourmet market, will be tied in with the Movie under the Stars evening at Ohui Domain.
This will be held before the movie screening, and will have live music as part of the festive occasion, Mr Hayes said.
He said each year the i-SITE took on board feedback received from people who attended the different events, with the movie night one they want to grow out and make it more of an event, he said.
Overall, he said people could expect a good line up of events this year, “a summer jam-packed with lots of fun activities for the family,” the details of which will be released in the coming weeks.
He was now working out the summer calendar and dates for the different events that would be part of the festival.
But now the funding is secure he needs to go back to the artists and acts to ask if they are available before the dates can be confirmed.
Mr Hayes emailed the Lantern Festival last Friday to check on its availability.
“It seems to be the way we roll but we always seem to make it work. It can be a bit tricky,” Mr Hayes said.
Confirmation of the Southern Trust funding last week was good news for the lantern festival, he said.
In the past the Lantern Festival has seen the likes of Dave Dobbyn, Annie Crummer and New Zealand reggae band Tomorrow People perform in front of appreciative crowds that’s a mix of locals and holidaymakers.