Arts celebrated with two-day Orewa festival

Members of the Hibiscus Coast Artists displayed their work against a backdrop of Orewa Beach. The skill of remaining still is the forte of concrete Captain Cook. Dance groups from a wide variety of cultures performed, including members of the Albany Chinese Association. Brent Harbour of More FM Rodney was transformed into Darth Vader by Estuary Arts Centre’s Kim Boyd and friend Meredyth Bailey. He eventually completed the look with a helmet, cape and light sabre. Michael Irwin demonstrates his Oamaru stone sculpting skills. Birds and animals were popular subjects for several of the artists, including Zivana Pauling, and Charlie Thomas.

The two-day Boulevard Arts Festival was hailed as a success by organiser Destination Orewa Beach, with attendance up on the previous year and estimated at 9000-10,000 people.

Destination Orewa operations manager Hellen Wilkins says extending the festival over two days, February 16 and 17, for the first time was necessary because the event has grown so large that the art element was getting somewhat lost. Sunday therefore was devoted entirely to the arts.

On both days, stallholders and performers battled cold gusty winds that lifted gazebos into the air and blew down easels, particularly those set up near the beach.

Saturday’s events focused on food, stalls, rides and entertainment along Orewa Boulevard, while on Sunday, Moana Reserve was given over to the arts. Around 20 local artists displayed work for sale and there were also opportunities to have a go at things such as tie dying and printmaking and watch sculptors, body painters and other artists at work.

Stage performances came from a wide range of musicians and dancers, all with a connection to the Hibiscus Coast – from Scottish music and dance to hip hop and Korean drumming.

For the second year running, the vent was promoted as zero waste, with anyone bringing food from home asked to use compostable containers, or those which can be taken home and reused.

Hellen says this was taken on board by the public, as well as all food vendors, which resulted in waste being sent to landfill making up only 32 percent of the rubbish while 68 percent went to either commercial compost or recycle centres.

However, Hellen says while Destination Orewa supports Council’s zero waste targets, the costs of holding a zero waste event are high. “We have advocated to Council for the increase to be ‘stepped’ over several years to reduce the impact of costs associated with regulatory requirements,” she says.

“Once Auckland Council implements three bin systems (separated landfill, recycle and organic bins) throughout the whole region’s town centres, this will be a great ‘lead by example’ for event organisers to follow. Until then, I believe this is an unfair and unrealistic target for community event organisers to have to attain.”