A multi-cultural celebration and market day deals are among some of the Waitangi Day events happening in Ashburton next week.
Both are in the Ashburton Domain on Tuesday, February 6.
Multi Cultural Bite Ashburton trustee Rich Fox said the annual food festival was a chance to celebrate the district’s multi-culturalism as a community.
‘‘The whole vision of (the event) is recognising Ashburton has become a very multi-cultural community … and of course being Waitangi Day … we’re thinking about our past and our cultures, let’s celebrate all our cultures in our community which are evergrowing.
‘‘It’s a great way for the community to see all those different cultures actually represented in food and costume. We have the platform and the stage and we’ve different performances throughout the actual food festival – throughout the day there will be dancing and music.’’
Pupils from Tinwald School will perform kapa haka.
Fox said among the more than 20 food stalls, all providing bite-sized samples of food from cultures around the world, there were a few new stalls with new countries being represented.
There was also a good selection of Asian, South American, Tongan and Samoan foods, and entertainment included South American and Pasifika performances.
People buy tickets and use them to get food from stallholders. It costs $3 a ticket.
There has been good support from the community, and the district council has been great, he said.
‘‘Bring family, bring friends, make a bit of a day of it,’’ he said.
‘‘It promises to be – weather permitting – a really good day of food and fun, and culture.’’
Ashburton Waitangi Day Market organiser Carol Johns is gearing up for another bumper market day with more than 70 stalls registered from across New Zealand; 15 of them new to the annual event.
She said stallholders will be selling everything from plants, jewellery, amazing crafts, children and baby clothes, to fresh Central Otago fruit, candles and soaps, and much more.
■ February 6: Multi Cultural Bite Ashburton in Ashburton Domain Walnut Ave corner runs from 10am to 2pm, with the Ashburton Waitangi Day Market, in the domain behind the layby on West St, from 10am and until 4pm.
