Queenstown counts down to New Zealand’s 10 Coolest Days

Queenstown counts down to New Zealand’s 10 Coolest Days

11 June 2013 – The final countdown to the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter celebration is on with only ten days to go until the 2013 American Express Queenstown Winter Festival (21-30 June) gets underway.

Now in its 39th year, the multi-award winning Festival presents a stellar line up of on-mountain action, downtown magic, street parties, fireworks, concerts, comedy, family fun, and live entertainment.

Over the ten-day Festival thousands of locals and visitors will take to Queenstown’s streets and ski slopes to enjoy more than 75 events most of which are free.

Destination Queenstown CEO Graham Budd says that the annual Winter Festival is all about celebrating the community, the mountain environment, and the start of our winter holiday season “Queenstown-style”.

“The American Express Queenstown Winter Festival has built an international reputation for being fun, outrageous and a must-do for locals and visitors of all ages. For locals it’s a great chance to get together and enjoy ten days of non-stop winter fun and for visitors it’s a great time to be here because the ski fields are open and town is buzzing with new season excitement.”

New Zealand’s ten coolest days will open with a bang at the American Express Opening Party in Earnslaw Park on Queenstown’s waterfront. New Zealand comedians Urzila Carlson and Paul Ego will MC a fantastic line-up which includes top local acts, a spectacular fireworks display and a special set from Kiwi music legend Dave Dobbyn guaranteed to get the crowd joining in.

Festival fun will continue throughout the week with downtown events including plenty of family fun at the American Express Festival Street Parade, More FM Day on the Bay featuring the wacky Birdman competition, glitz and glamour at the SKYCITY Casino Royale-themed ball, the Speight’s Dodgeball Championship and the infamous MoreFM Drag Race and Comedy Galas providing the crowd with plenty of laughs. For those wanting some on-snow action, mountain favourites such as the Speight’s Dog Derby, Mophie Mountain Bikes on Snow, Auckland Airport Suitcase Race, Corona Coronet Peak Night Skiing and the Quiksilver Slopestyle Invitational will keep everyone entertained.

The Festival wraps up on Sunday 30 June with the inaugural Auckland Airport Community Carnival, bringing light, laughter and fun to the streets of Queenstown to celebrate the resort town’s multi-cultural diversity. Dotted around the streets of the CBD, the mix of cultures of Queenstown’s residents will be represented by ‘zones’ featuring sights and sounds from all corners of the world.

Festival Manager Lisa Buckingham says this year’s Festival provides everyone with endless opportunities to get involved and help celebrate the start of winter.

“We’ve pulled out all the stops for an awesome ten days and encourage everyone to get amongst it, and have an unforgettable time. It’s the perfect way to kick off the winter season in Queenstown.”

For more Winter Festival information visit www.winterfestival.co.nz or check out the Youtube video http://youtu.be/AeJ5uB8rNeI.

For more information about Queenstown visit www.queenstownnz.co.nz.

Background to the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival
WINTER STARTS HERE! From 21 June to 30 June, the 2013 American Express Queenstown Winter Festival celebrates 39 years of winter fun and festivities with 10 days of totally outrageous and uniquely Queenstown events. Join us on Facebook or Twitter, or keep an eye on www.winterfestival.co.nz to be first with the latest news and hot updates.

Started in 1975, Festival was born when a group of clever locals thought the arrival of snow was a ‘great excuse for a party’. The group organised races on the mountain and in town, lollies for the kids, beers for the grown-ups, a concert or two and a local ball, all of which were a great success. News quickly spread and over the years it has grown in size and stature to become the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter celebration.

Now an iconic event cemented on Queenstown’s calendar it attracts 45,000 attendees and injects a whopping $57 million back into the local economy.

Despite phenomenal growth, the Festival has stayed true to its roots and is still a Festival by the community, for the community. It has evolved to forge a unique identity as New Zealand’s premier celebration of all things winter and holds a special place in the heart of Queenstowners.

ENDS

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