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Planning is underway to stage Warkworth’s premier event, the annual Kowhai Festival, in October … but volunteers are needed to make it happen.
Like so many other events over the covid years, the festival has been on ice since the 50th anniversary celebration in 2019. In the intervening three years, many festival committee members have moved on to other priorities.
Dave Parker, who has been involved with the event since its inception, hopes the town will rally and new people will step forward to help.
“The festival is a celebration that brings a lot of joy to the town and district,” Parker says. “It’s inclusive and it is the very essence of a ‘community’ event because it needs the involvement of everyone – organisers and community groups, market stallholders, entertainers, food and wine providers, and so on.”
Parker says a committed team of 10 is all that is needed to manage the event. Additional volunteers can then be recruited for the day itself.
“The primary skill we’re looking for is enthusiasm, but it would also be good to get people on the committee who have administrative and management skills.”
Tasks that need to be ticked off include:
• Drafting the day’s programme
• Liaison with Auckland Council for consents
• Coordination of community groups and volunteers
• Market stall coordination
• Promotion
• Entertainment
• Traffic management and transport
• Food and wine/beer festival
• Sponsorship
Parker said if someone stepped up to take on just one of these tasks, then the rest would fall into place.
The tentative date for The Huge Day Out, which sees the centre of Warkworth turned into a bustling market and entertainment hub, has been set down for election day, October 14.
For more information, contact Dave on 027 484 9935.
