The Hokonui Moonshiners' Festival will stay in Gore's
heritage precinct this year after a proposed new venue was
double-booked.
Festival organisers met last week to discuss the
double-booking of the Southern Field Days site (in Waimumu,
near Gore) with the Young Farmer of the Year Otago-Southland
regional final.
Hokonui Moonshiners' Festival committee spokesman Jim Geddes
said it was decided that with top New Zealand performers
Opshop and Annah Mac headlining this year's festival, staying
at the precinct was the best option.
''We were not satisfied that we could take the festival to
the next level and fulfil our expectations, as well as those
of festival-goers, beside another distinctly different
event.''
The festival will stay with its new date of March 23. Tickets
go on sale this Friday for $45 at www.iticket.co.nz. Mr Geddes urged
people to get tickets online as numbers were limited.
Depending on sales, there may be gate sales on the day for
$55 per ticket.
Strong community and business support had enabled the
committee to ensure the ticket price was reasonable, Mr
Geddes said.
Hokonui Moonshiners' Festival is New Zealand's original
boutique whisky festival, staged in Gore's arts and heritage
precinct. It attracts thousands each year and allows crowds
to sample beverages alongside food created by award-winning
southern chefs.
- helena.dereus@odt.co.nz
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