A new three-day youth camping festival that was to be held in Otematata over Labour Weekend has been postponed indefinitely.
OTE Fest co-ordinator Eugen Dupu confirmed yesterday a decision had been made not to go ahead with the event due to a low number of registrations.
However, an alternative event has been organised in Oamaru which will feature some of the OTE Fest line-up, including Moorhouse, DJ Asher, Jordan Edwards and Clutha Dance.
World champion graffiti artists Charles and Janine Williams will also be in Oamaru and will create four pieces of artwork for a silent auction.
It will be held at the Loan and Merc from 8pm on October 25.
Community Safety and Development facilitator Helen Algar said OTE Fest organisers were disappointed by the low number of registrations, but there was a lot of energy and goodwill for providing entertainment for young people in the Waitaki district.
''We are taking the opportunity to offer an event that will be available to a wider audience ...
it will be a great night and one [to] remember,'' Mrs Algar said.
''We're just going to do the best we can [in the circumstances] and hope that we get lots of people along.''
Mrs Algar acknowledged and thanked all of the people in Otematata and Oamaru who had contributed to the development of OTE Fest: ''what would have been an amazing youth event''.
They would ''definitely'' revisit the concept in the future.
''I think it's too good an idea not to carry on and investigate,'' she said.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher encouraged the community to get behind the new youth event and make it a ''real success''.
The alcohol-free event is open to people of all ages.
