Ferrymead Eco event NOSTALGIA a leader in green initiatives

Ferrymead Eco event NOSTALGIA (March 1) a leader in green initiatives

Since the 1960s Ferrymead Heritage Park has been offering groups of school children, tourists, and local history buffs a taste of what Christchurch was like in the ‘olden days’, and post-quakes the collection of Edwardian wooden buildings continues to function as a local heritage site you can actually walk through.

For Johnny Gibson from Wunderbound events, a walk through the park on his return to Christchurch last year inspired Nostalgia, a boutique wine, food and music festival held in the unique surrounds of one of the city’s favourite landmarks. “The entire place lends itself to an event,” he says. “The town square is sheltered, and has an amazing backdrop of Mt. Cavendish and Castle Rock. There are some great picnic spots, and of course the tram will be going too.”

Featuring Auckland swing and blues band Sal Valentine & the Babyshakes, along with Mara TK & Aaron Tokona, and other local acts, the music has been chosen to reflect the theme.

Yet as much as Nostalgia is about celebrating the past, it is also working hard to embrace a sustainable future, and Johnny says that Wunderbound’s eco friendly initiatives need to be a part of the new Christchurch. “We’re working with Our Daily Waste, the vendors, and the audience to ensure we showcase the efficient methods that are available and we will continue to explore information and techniques to reduce the impact of our festivals on the environment.”

Local recycling and waste prevention consultancy Our Daily Waste will be providing recycling services, and have worked with Gibson to ensure that waste is kept to a minimum through limited packaging, and the provision of Globelet reusable cups (www.globelet.com). The cups are sturdy and dishwasher-proof, and Gibson says that as an incentive for people to continue using them after the event, local brewery Cassels are offering discounted beer for customers who take them into one of their bars during the month of March.

For Dr. Sharon McIver from Our Daily Waste, the use of the Globelets is proof that people want alternatives to disposable cups. “Johnny’s been totally committed to trying out new ideas, and has organised a solar heated rinsing station so that people can rinse their cups between drinks,” she says. “Globelets were used at the recent Lyttelton Tea Party, and people really liked them. We also ended up with around a quarter of the waste you’d normally get at an event that size, so I’m confident we can do the same thing at Nostalgia.”

However, Gibson understands that being an eco event involves more than just waste reduction, and in addition to the event featuring the best of locally sourced produce and wine, there are also carpooling and bussing options for event attendees.

“We’re using ‘Let’s Carpool’ as an option for people wanting to drive,” says Gibson, “but we’ve also arranged to have four heritage buses on rotation from the Pallet Pavillion to Ferrymead, which ticket holders can register for when they buy their tickets online. I love the idea of people meeting up before the event – it will be just like all those school bus trips we used to take to the park.”

With no teachers looking over your shoulder, Nostalgia promises to be way more fun than a school trip, so hunt out your favourite retro threads, and get your ticket to an event set on celebrating both the past and the future.

For more on Johnny Gibson go to www.neatplaces.co.nz/place/johnny-gibson-nostalgia-festival

www.wunderbound.co.nz
www.ourdailywaste.co.nz

ENDS

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