Preparations Underway For Kawakawa Bay Christmas Concert

Summer may seem an age away, but work is well underway in Kawakawa Bay for the annual Christmas in the Park celebration. Kawakawa Bay will once again resound to the sound of community and Christmas when the annual event takes place on Sunday December 11 on the village green. Following on from the first two highly successful years returning to an outdoor venue, the local organisers have been hard at work developing the 2016 event with further tweaks and improvements.

According to organiser Judi Cranston, “We have refined the schedule to emphasise our local content and community groups on top of the world class talent and set the date a little earlier to avoid the crazy Christmas period and unsettled weather. Willie Iosia will make a popular return as our MC and we welcome back international soprano Gina Sanders. We are very excited about the event and look forward to all the community participating in what will be a real fun evening.”

Organisers have moved the event to early December to avoid pre-Christmas overload and unsettled weather, as well as timing the event for a family-friendly 6-8pm Sunday evening. Organised to combine Christmas tidings with a celebration of local talent, the event ticks all the boxes for locals, showcasing local talent and providing a family orientated evening for all. Popular acts such as the Kawakawa Bay Ukulele Group, Matt John and Davina Wilson and soloist Soprano Gina Sanders are slated to return whilst local MP Andrew Bayley has been invited to once again to judge the evenings activities.

The organisers are not receiving funding from Auckland City this year so are dependent on community support, sponsorship and donated prizes to ensure the event covers its costs. According to sponsorship Organiser Joanne MacLean, “The event has grown in size with people from all around the area enjoying a beautiful early summer evening in front of cool sounds and entertainment. We are planning for an even larger audience this year, all of which comes at a cost. We are so fortunate to enjoy the continued support of key supporters Kawakawa Bay Community Church, Zealandia and Barfoot and Thompson Beachlands but we need the support of local businesses if we are going to pull it off again this year.”

Local groups and organisations will again be supporting the event with food, refreshments and children’s activities. After last year’s enthusiastic response to open air entertainment on the village green, support is mounting for another summer of open air events for Pohutakawa Coast residents.

ENDS

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