Kāpiti will commemorate Waitangi Day with a vibrant and diverse community event at Campbell Park, Paekākāriki delivered through a partnership between Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki, Te Whakamimenga ō Kāpiti and Kāpiti Coast District Council.

Waitangi Day, which takes place on 6 February, honours the signing of New Zealand’s founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, in 1840 and is commemorated locally each year in partnership with tāngata whenua.

The all-day event will begin with a pōwhiri at 10am followed by kids’ activities, stalls, food and live music until 4pm.

Chair of Te Whakamimenga ō Kāpiti Rupene Waaka says the event will highlight people and place.

“The theme for this year’s commemoration, developed by Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki and the Paekākāriki Community Board is Te Taiao (the environment) and Kotahitanga (unity),” Mr Waaka says.

“Waitangi Day is a special day to come together to celebrate the amazing place we all live in and to commemorate our shared history.”

Deputy Mayor Janet Holborow says the event will be a celebration of the diversity of our community and the values that we share.

“Ngāti Haumia and the Paekākāriki Community Board have been working alongside Council to ensure this event is an inclusive and fun day for the whole whanau to enjoy. It will also be a Zero Waste event,” Ms Holborow says.

“We have a line-up of thirty-one musicians, a special exhibition inside Memorial Hall that explores local history and kids’ activities including a giant waterslide.

“Waitangi Day is an important time to think about who we are and where we are, and provides an opportunity to come together as a community,” says Ms Holborow.

“Everyone is welcome so bring a picnic, a hat and sunscreen and make a day of it!”

Vendors who are interested in selling food, arts or crafts are able to book a stall by contacting margaret.sweetman@kapiticoast.govt.nz.

ENDS

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