Rosalind Manowitz — aka Rainbow Rosalind — is stepping out of her fairy costume and performing as herself at Buskers Festival Ōtepoti today.
She was excited about the performance because it would give her the opportunity to step out of her fairy costume and "be a human".
"It’s something that can appeal to the kids and adults, so that’s kind of nice."
She had not busked in a long time, but had grown up doing it.
As a teenager, she was in a band that would busk a lot in the streets.
"Busking holds a special place in my heart.
"When I was a kid a I remember going to the markets and telling my mum I really want that hat and she’d be like, ‘Well, you can busk for it."’
Busking helped her get over the fear of performing in front of people and helped her feel more comfortable when performing in her alter ego, children’s entertainer Rainbow Rosalind.
Miss Manowitz had recently been on tour with The Wiggles in Australia and jamming at bars and restaurants with her fellow musicians in their down-time inspired her to do more gigs as herself.
The Buskers Festival was the perfect opportunity for her to continue exploring more of that style of music.
The Buskers Festival will be held from 11am to 2pm with buskers performing at designated "stages" in doorways along King Edward St, from Cargills Corner to McBride St.
Miss Manowitz will be performing at 11am and 12.30pm.
Formerly known as the South Dunedin Busking Festival, last held in 2019, the much-loved community event is getting a reboot.
There are prizes up for grabs for buskers who wish to enter and the event will culminate with a prizegiving at the Dunedin Gasworks Museum from 3pm.
