Great Glenorchy Getaway Day Celebrates Scottish Heritage

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Great Glenorchy Getaway Day Celebrates Scottish Heritage

Getaway to Glenorchy on Saturday, 20th May for haggis, tatties and neeps

GLENORCHY, NEW ZEALAND, 12 MAY 2017 –Visitors to this month’s Great Glenorchy Getaway Day are in for a full day celebrating the region’s Scottish heritage complete with tartan, bagpipes, Highland-style games, Robbie Burns poetry, market stalls, whisky-tasting, a traditional meal of haggis, tatties and neeps and the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize-winning movie, “The Angels’ Share.”

“Whether it’s hurling a hairy haggis or exploring your family tree, there’ll be something a little Scottish for everyone on Saturday 20th May,” said Debbie Crompton, General Manager of Mrs Woolly’s General Store.

“Many of Glenorchy’s early families hail from Scotland and when we asked the community for suggestions to bring our Scottish Heritage theme to life, they weren’t slow in coming forward. As a result, we’ve scheduled a great day packed with traditional Scottish games, food, music, rituals, workshops and great deals.”

Mrs Woolly’s General Store will be getting a tartan makeover and visitors to the Great Glenorchy Getaway Day are encouraged to wear their Scottish finest. There will be prizes for winners of the best-dressed and the most-creative tartans.

“The Scots that settled here were a hardy lot and the Highland-style games are designed to test strength, creativity, teamwork and skill,” said Debbie. “Great prizes will go to the winners of a gigantic tug’o war, hammer toss, caber toss and gumboot throw in various age and gender groups. We’re also looking forward to participating in the piping in of the haggis, a reading of Robert Burns’ epic poem Tam o’Shanter and celebrating World Whisky Day with a competitive tasting of New Zealand and Scotland’s finest.”

The event is open to the public is everyone is invited to join in the festivities and attend the free workshops: Jim Nicol of Queenstown’s Modbox Ltd is holding a lively show-and-tell workshop “Top Ten Tips for Tiny Houses,” featuring a tiny house on wheels at 11am; Edith McKay from the NZ Society of Genealogists will explore the Scottish roots in the area and help you discover “How to Find Your Roots” at 2pm; and a children’s rock painting workshop will keep the little ones busy while the parents to go on a ‘sneak peak’ tour of Camp Glenorchy, New Zealand’s first Zero Net Energy campground, next door at noon.

Camp Glenorchy will highlight the nearly-complete Scheelite Campfire Shelter designed and built by Glenorchy artist Dan Kelly; the South Island’s largest solar garden; and braided river stone mosaic pathways designed and built by landscape artist Jeffrey Bale. Visitors will also get an early peek at what the well-insulated year-round cabins will look like when the campground opens later this year, and see the early stages of the Commons Building which will house Camp Glenorchy’s year-round group gathering space, shared kitchen, dining room, library and atrium.

The very Scottish Great Glenorchy Getaway Day on Saturday 20th May kicks off at 10am and runs until 7.30pm. Tables of special Mrs Woolly’s “Scottish Sale” items will be priced at $5 and under, and $10 and under—first come, first served for great mark-downs. A variety of fresh preserves, produce, cheeses and gifts will be offered by market stalls. Workshops run from 11am, the Highland-style games begin at 1pm and pony rides begin at3pm.

The traditional haggis ceremony begins at 4pm next to a toasty brazier, the NZ vs. Scottish whisky taste-off is $10pp for adults only and starts at 5pm, and the traditional Scottish meal of haggis, tatties and neeps will be served alongside a delicious hot Scottish broth from 5:15pm.

Local Glenorchy historian and storyteller Vince Jones will give a talk about the Scottish heritage of the area at5:30pm, and at 6pm the movie, “The Angels’ Share,” about a ne’er-do-well father, a daring plan and a whisky distillery will begin. Tickets for the Haggis Dinner and Movie are available for $45pp at Eventfinda.co.nz or at Mrs Woolly’s General Store.

Ends

Great Glenorchy Getaway Day: Saturday 20 May 2017 Schedule

• Stalls and store open 10am

• WORKSHOP #1: Top Ten Tiny House Tips, with Jim Nicol of Modbox Ltd 11am

• WORKSHOP #2: Children’s Rock Painting Workshop 12noon

• Camp Glenorchy “Sneak Peek” Tour 12noon

• Highland-style Games for the Whole Family 1-3pm

• WORKSHOP #3: Scottish Heritage and How to Find Your Roots, with Edith 2pm

McKay of the NZ Society of Genealogists

• Pony Rides and Live Mu 3pm

• Camp Glenorchy “Sneak Peek” Tour #2 3pm

• Bagpipes and Robert Burns’ Tam o’Shanter Poetry 4pm

• Traditional Haggis Bagpipes Ceremony 4:30pm

• Scotch Whisky Taste-Off 5:00pm

• Bar Opens 5:15pm

• Haggis Dinner Served 5:15pm

• Brief Story of Glenorchy’s Scottish History 5:45pm

• “The Angels’ Share” Movie (105 minutes) 6pm

• Store closes 6pm

• Event ends 8pm

Great Glenorchy Getaway Day 2017 Schedule

• Saturday 28th Ap Arts & Artists (completed)

• Saturday 20th May Scottish Heritage

• Saturday 22nd July TBC

• Saturday 19th August TBC

• Saturday 16th September TBC

• Sunday, 22nd October TBC

Note: Mrs Woolly’s General Store will be closed from 26th May to 30th June.

For more information, visit www.MrsWoollysGeneralStore.co.nz or call 03 409 0051.

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