Te Rā o te Raukura

FEB 1 & 2, TE WHITI PARK, WAIWHETU, LOWER HUTT

Te Rā o te Raukura is back bigger and better for 2014. Every year 'Te Rā' attracts up to 20,000 people to Te Whiti Park, Waiwhetu in Lower Hutt. It's a family orientated festival with a focus on Health, Art, and Education with kid's amusement rides, and over 100 stalls with a massive array of fine foods and crafts. This event is a smoke and alcohol free festival.

Ātiawa Toa FM is celebrating 20 years of Te Rā o te Raukura with a two day festival hosting the Wellington Regional Kapa Haka Competitions on Saturday the 1st of February. Seven groups will be competing for a spot at Te Matatini to be held at Christchurch in 2015.

Sunday is the festival we know and love, 'Te Rā' will feature its first international act. Brisbane based Paua will be joining

Wellington sunshine reggae band Tomorrow People and X Factor finalist Maaka Fiso as the premier music acts.

Also joining the line up will be festival favourite percussion groupWellington Batucada.

Ranea Aperahama will perform Māori music with his band Aka. Auckland based RnB singer TJ Taotua will make his

first appearance at 'Te Rā' as well as Aotearoa reggae legend David Grace & Injustice.

Also joining the line up is Australian based beat box champion Hope One The Beatboxer. Opening the festival will be the winner of the Ātiawa Toa FM Battle of the Band competition, The Shakedown. Joining them are Jahnetix, Kaiya, Brothers N Arms and The Fixxx. There will also be a showcase of artists through local Wellington labels Handmade Records and Making Music Aotearoa as well as a performance from

Homai te Pakipaki winner Wiz Tokelau.

The festival is hosted by Ātiawa Toa FM with a live broadcast of the festival on 100.9FM in Wellington and the Hutt Valley, and 94.9FM in Porirua,

and streaming worldwide at www.atiawatoafm.com.

Entry is generally by koha with all proceeds going to Te Omanga Hospice.

Interested stall holders should contact Dinah by emailing te.ra@atiawa.co.nz.

The name of this event Te Rā o te Raukura is significant to the people of Waiwhetu and the tangata whenua in the Wellington Region. The 'Raukura' was used as a symbol of peace, love and harmony by the prophet Te Whiti O Rongomai at Parihaka. He and fellow prophet Tohu Kakahi led their people to passive resistance and patient obedience as an armed constabulary invaded the peaceful village of Parihaka on November the 5th in 1881. Te Rā o te Raukura commemorates this day and celebrates unity in Lower Hutt City and the wider Wellington Region.

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