Otaki Village Ready to Party

June 18, 2012

Otaki Village Ready to Party

A Friday night street party is planned for Otaki on July 20.

The party will be in the downtown shopping area, recently rebranded as "Otaki Village". It is to celebrate Matariki and the end of street works in the village.

"We want to bring some excitement back to the town," says the chairperson of the Otaki Village Promotions Group, Ian Carson. "It's an evening of entertainment that we hope will brighten up a winter evening."

Main Street in the village will be closed from 4-10pm, with activities between 5-9pm. Most of the shops will remain open for the evening, and eateries are planning special food items and barbecues to cater for the crowds. A children's lantern parade is scheduled for after dark, and there will be two stages at each end of the street where live bands will play all evening. There will also be stilt walkers, kapa haka, a bouncy castle and giant slide. Otaki Museum is opening a new exhibition on facial tattoos, called Face Value, on the night.

"It's all about getting the community together after a tough couple of years in Main Street," Mr Carson says. "The street works have brought a bright new look to the village, so we also want to show that off to people, especially if they haven't been into town recently."

Otaki Village is about a kilometre west of State Highway 1. With the resurgence of shopping on the highway at Otaki, Mr Carson says many visitors don't even know there's another part of Otaki.

"It's one of New Zealand's oldest settlements and full of history," he says. "There's plenty for visitors to see and do in and around the village."

The rebranding of the old township to Otaki Village was prompted because of the lack of understanding of the township. An informal survey by the Otaki Village Promotions Group showed overwhelming support for the name.

Apart from organising the street party, the group is working on other initiatives, including better signage, markets and other regular events.

ENDS

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