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For more than 30 years, Steve Le Lievre has stepped ashore in Akaroa Harbour in the footsteps of his great-grandfather.
But this year, a sore leg means the 78-year-old will have to watch from the beach as his brother takes on the role he has played for years in the re-enactment held at the Akaroa French Festival which opens at 5pm on Friday.
Le Lievre has been part of the festival since it began in 1993, when the small community event centred around a re-enactment of French settlers landing at Akaroa Harbour.
It has since blossomed into a three-day celebration attracting participants and visitors from far and wide.
Le Lievre normally portrays his great-grandfather, Francois Le Lievre, who arrived in Akaroa as a blacksmith aboard the whaling boats. He built the first European cottage in the township, on what is now Rue Balguerie.
This year, his brother Michael will take his place on the boat, while Le Lievre will meet the characters when they arrive on the beach.
“I like getting dressed up you see,” he said.
Le Lievre was also Akaroa’s town crier for 15 years, welcoming cruise ship visitors on the wharf in an outfit in the colours of the French flag and resembling Napoleon Bonaparte.
He was inspired to start the re-enactment after learning more about his family’s French heritage. To attract a crowd for the first landing, he came ashore with a case of champagne, stood beneath the French flag at the historic landing site and shouted everyone a glass.
“That got things moving,” he said.
The festival was held every year until 2008, when it became biennial. Because of rising costs and the limited time available to its six-strong volunteer committee, it will now be held every three years.
This year’s festival also marks another change, with organisers introducing an admission fee for the first time.
Adult entry is $20, while children under 16 get in free. The fee covers all three days and all events and family activities at the festival, except Le Cabaret.
Said festival manager Lesley Burkes-Harding: “Costs being what they are, we just could not provide it as completely free entertainment any longer. If we hadn’t charged, it just wouldn’t have happened.”
The city council has given the festival $100,000 for this year and pledged a further $100,000 for the next event in 2029.
Burkes-Harding and her husband, John Harding, have been part of the festival committee since 2017. She managed the most recent event in 2023.
The couple are freelance designers, with John working in production and Lesley in costuming. They worked on The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies and the first Avatar film.
They moved to Akaroa from Wellington in 2013.
“We saw it (the festival) and went, oh, this is great. But, maybe we can help grow it into what I describe as a true community festival, which it certainly has become,” she said.
The festival opens at 5pm tomorrow with Le Marché de Nuit, the Night Market, where food and wine vendors, live music and dancing will entertain party-goers into the evening.
Saturday begins with Landings, a re-enactment tracing the arrival of the people who came to call Akaroa home, from the first Māori to whalers and the French and German settlers who followed.
A brass band will lead the parade to the Akaroa Recreation Ground for Market Day, with French food and wine, live music, family activities, competitions and traditional folk dancing.
Saturday night brings Le Cabaret, featuring comedy, Le Can-Can and risqué burlesque in the Big Top marquee.
Sunday offers La Brocante, with antiques, collectables and vintage wares, while Le Cirque du Croissant provides free circus-style entertainment for children.
Visitors can also dress up themselves and their furry friends for The Fancy French Pooch Parade – Le Superdog.
• For tickets and the full programme of events visit akaroafrenchfest.co.nz/whats-on