The welcome to artists by Central Otago Mayor Malcolm Macpherson will take place at 10am on Saturday, November 15, followed by the official opening and the Children's Future Central 2020 Exhibition at Central Stories Museum.
Nine artists will work on their sculptures in Pioneer Park, beginning on Sunday and working daily from 10am to 5pm through to the following Saturday, November 22, when the public will have a chance to view the works before the Thyme Festival Gala and Art Auction that night.
The public will have an opportunity to meet the artists and discuss their work at 7.30 on Friday night at Central Stories.
Convener Kathi McLean said the idea was to have people working in the park so the public could get involved and see the artists working.
The lunchtime events begin on Monday with a talk at Central Stories on how to survive a disaster, looking at community and personal options presented by Owen Burgess, principal rural fire officer.
On Tuesday there is a concert by Dunstan High School for people to enjoy while taking their midday break; on Wednesday a lunchtime demonstration and tasting of Thai food by Jiji Weigel at Central Stories, and an interbusiness competition of Junk to Funk Art Sculpture; on Thursday Noriko Stewart will make sushi at Central Stories at midday and there will be a kapa haka performance at Pioneer Park. Folk singer Martin Curtis will perform for an hour at lunchtime on Friday.
Radio station More FM will run a "Talent Time" quest with selected children from Central Otago Schools from 10am to noon on Sunday in Pioneer Park.
"We are trying to encompass all the arts and that's why we're having the lunchtime concerts with music and food as well," Mrs McLean said.
Promote Dunstan was the umbrella for the Thyme Festival and Promote Dunstan was also playing a part with its long lunch at Pioneer Park on the final Sunday of the festival, Mrs McLean said.
There are numerous other events including cooking demonstrations, courses on various types of gardening, an historical walk through Earnscleugh mining areas, and talks on how to work through the conflict of building a home in a natural heritage site, identifying and saving heritage plants and trees and growing and producing your own food, to name a few.
Programmes for the festival are available at most retailers throughout Central Otago.
