Hollie Smith to headline festival on September 30th
The Port Chalmers Seafood Festival is poised for a showcase of Kiwi entertainment this year with award winning New Zealand singer songwriter Hollie Smith and her band adding the festival to her nation tour this September.
“We’re so excited to have Hollie join the line-up of local music acts this year,” Said Justin Moore, Port Chalmers Seafood Festival organizing committee Chair. “We really have all the music bases covered this year and the stage is set for a fantastic festival feel with great local talent.”
The festival runs every two years and is currently in its fourth iteration, and run completely by volunteers who set out to create a high quality event that raises funds for the West Harbour Community.
The local music collection includes other award winners including the Logan Park High School Jazz band who took out the national award last year for high schools, and young Dunedin band Ragged who not only took out OUSA Battle of the Bands in 2015 but have also just notched up 100,000 listens of their single ‘Bones’ on Spotify.
“We set out to create a schedule of music that really brings the fun back to our family family festival, and we’re really happy to have such a fantastic group of musicians that will make the day special.” Said Moore. “We’ve got great music for the adults and a lot of interactive activities including a giant shipwreck sandpit for the kids.”
Adding to the local talent is well known Dunedin band the Idol Frets fronted by award winning entertainer, Kelvin Cumming, and joining them all is Mike Rigg making his way back from Wellington to play his solo set of guaranteed crowd-pleasers.
The festival is focused on creating a day of entertainment for adults and kids, with the new focus being on families as they are trialing new ticketing prices this year aimed at helping local families get along to the day.
“For the first time we’ve made the festival free for kids 12 and under attending with their parents.” Said Moore. “The aim is to help create a fun family day out for kids and adults alike. It’s a really positive day for Dunedinites that really helps the local community fund great projects.”
In 2015 the festival put $20,000 back in to the local community even with poor weather, and this year with “almost as much covered space as the stadium” in the new Cruise Ship terminal, plus multiple marquees for children’s entertainment and cooking demonstrations thanks to Happy Hire, the festival is set again to create a win-win for festival goers and the West Harbour.
Tickets to the Port Chalmers Seafood Festival are on sale now, and more information can be found at festival.portchalmers.com
