Biggest market day celebrates small town charm
THE simple life — Kurow’s smalltown charm — is at the heart of what makes the Kurow Festival Market Day special, Kurow Festival Market Day committee member John Brocas says.
The summer market day, held in the town of about 350 people for more than three decades, highlighted the lifestyle, the people and the culture that he moved to the area for, from Auckland, about 20 years ago.
And if the town had a New Year’s resolution it might be to keep being a place that people want to visit — but for the small town to grow was not on everyone’s wish list.
‘‘We want to be a town that’s welcoming people,’’ he said.
‘‘You can come and live here if you like, but don’t bring the city with you.’’
‘‘It’s not necessarily good to get bigger.’’
The market day closed off several hundred metres of KurowDuntroon Rd (State Highway 83) through the centre of town and several thousand people wandered the streets from 10am yesterday morning.
With 77 stalls it was the biggest market day yet.
There were live music performances at each end of the market, face painting, helicopter and vintage fire truck rides, a pet corner and stalls offering a variety of products and food.
And while the date of the market had shifted over the years, for the past five or six years it had become tradition to host the market day on January 1.
‘‘New Year’s Day seems to be a good day for it,’’ Mr Brocas said. ‘‘Because what do you do on New Year’s Day? You drink a lot of water to make up for the night before.’’