June 17, 2024
Pewhairangi unites to celebrate Matariki
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Organisers of the Bay of Islands’ Matariki festival have dropped one of its most popular events – the Te Tau Hou Māori light and waka spectacular in Paihia – after the Ministry for Culture and Heritage failed to come up with funding.
Matariki Pewhairangi director Jackie Sanders says the ministry failed to inform the festival its Matariki Ahunga Nui Fund was being dropped, which means it did not have time to find alternative sourced for the $100,000 hole in its budget.
But they’re promoting a wide range of events over the three week festival, including a rongoa Maori expo at the Kerekeri Packhouse market next Sunday, and open day at the Treaty Grounds on June 30, a manu competition, exhibtions, plays, music and guided tours of Pukeiti Forest.
“Over half the events are independently run, and we just kind of pull them all together so that everybody can then see what’s out there.. That’s the really cool thing, that we all come together. You know, like the local marae, iwi.. local businesses. Everybody chips in to make it happen,” Ms Sanders says
Matariki Pēwhairangi runs from June 21 to July 14 in Kororāreka, Waitangi, Paihia, Kerikeri, Kaikohe and surrounding areas.