For the first time, the Arrowtown Autumn Festival — this year celebrating its 40th anniversary — will launch with a street party and fireworks display, the latter courtesy of Bill Falcone.
Festival coordinator Vanessa Williams says the festival’s kicking into gear a day earlier than normal, on Wednesday, April 15, with a jam-packed five-day schedule, harking back to its early days, locked in.
Along with April 15th’s opening ceremony, the Dishery Dash — a pub-to-pub challenge for teams of four — will be held down Buckingham St that afternoon, immediately followed by judging of the Beard Growing Competition, another event that’s returning to the calendar.
Registrations for that closed on February 16, giving blokes eight weeks to grow the most impressive facial hair, with prizes for the best moustache, most creative, longest beard, people’s choice and an overall winner.
After that, the action moves to Wilcox Green for the free community street party from 5pm, where there’ll be food and drink vendors, Flame fairies, a fire dance or two followed by the fireworks display, some time after 7pm.
Other highlights of the festival include the return of the pumpkin growing and harvest chutney competitions, ‘Saturday Night Live’, which sees live music at seven different venues along Arrowtown’s main street, the ’80s Prom Night at the Athenaeum Hall, also on the Saturday, and Sunday’s eternally-popular Pie, Pint and Pinot event.
Given the number of long-standing Queenstown events that have fallen over in the wake of Covid, Williams says having the event reach its 40th anniversary is a real tribute to the dedication of the community.
‘‘It’s not just the volunteer committee that puts a lot of work in, despite the growing requirements to put on an event, but also the number of events that are done by different groups in the community.
‘‘Everyone that takes part loves it, so I think it’s that passion for the event that keeps it going.
‘‘In past years, the food for the Senior Citizens High Tea we’ve just brought in, but now we’re getting members of the community to . . .make it themselves — they offered that.
‘‘It’s wonderful things like that.
‘‘People just want to see it thrive and keep it a community event.’’
For the full festival programme, to purchase tickets, register or volunteer, see arrowtownautumnfestival.co.nz
