Preparations Underway For Kawakawa Bay Christmas Concert
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 10 on the village green. Following on from the previous highly successful outdoor events, the local organisers have been hard at work developing the 2017 celebration 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 kept the date a little earlier to avoid the crazy Christmas period and unsettled weather. The ever popular Willie Iosia returns as our MC along with international soprano Gina Sanders who endears herself to the crowd with her warmth. We are very excited about the event and look forward to creating all those wonderful memories for our families and children.”
Organisers have kept 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, Davina Wilson and soloist Soprano Gina Sanders are slated to return whilst local MP Andrew Bayley has been invited to once again to oversee the evenings activities.
The organisers are not receiving funding from Auckland City 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 Association, Zealandia and Barfoot and Thompson Clevedon 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.