Picnics with glow-worms, containers for live art, and a street party: Christmas is only the start of the festivities…
The festive season in the southern hemisphere is probably my favourite time of the year. This is not so much because of the usual Christmas or New Year celebrations: what I really love are the picnics, barbeques, sunshine, beach-time, and the abundance of outdoor art and music festivals that take place in different locations around the city.
In late February the waterfront in Wellington becomes home to shipping containers that are stacked and grouped together to create the Performance Arcade – a cluster of temporary stages for live music, installations, interactive media and culinary art. Often the participating artists invite you to join in, try out and explore different sights, sounds and smells. From blind-tasting different foods or posing for a nude photograph to being mimicked by a dance choreographer, there is usually something unexpected, exciting and entertaining to experience.
Best of all are the street festivals. This year Newtown Festival fell on my birthday. It was an unusually hot, sunny summer day so I took the opportunity to dress up in a burlesque costume and invite my friends over for champagne breakfast before we hiked up Mount Victoria towards Newtown. During the festival the main street of the little suburb is transformed into a two-kilometre-long vibrant performance stage lined with stalls selling crafts and food from around the world.
This short video created by the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre gives a good impression of the colourful, happy vibes on the streets during Newtown Festival