Super dupa carnival as Cuba transforms
BRIANNE KERR has done it. Now it is Cuba St’s turn to transform from ordinary to extraordinary.
CubaDupa – a modern take on the Cuba St Carnival – runs this weekend, transforming the central Wellington street and area around it into a festival on a massive scale.
It comes on a big weekend for the capital, which is also hosting two big matches at Westpac Stadium, the Relay for Life at Frank Kitts Park and the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon at Kilbirnie Park.
CubaDupa alone will see about 100 acts playing on multiple stages today and tomorrow with at least 200 performances.
It was impossible to guess how many people would turn up for the first of what was planned to be an annual event, Kerr said. ‘‘We are prepared for all of Wellington. We welcome all of Wellington.’’
She described CubaDupa as a ‘‘reimagining’’ of the Cuba St Carnival, a hugely popular street party that launched in 1998 and, in its last year in 2009, attracted 150,000 people.
‘‘As much as we revere and acknowledge the carnival, we don’t want to just recreate the carnival.’’
CubaDupa would go ahead ‘‘rain or shine’’, though some outside events might have to be moved inside if it rained, she said.
Among the interactive events were Spanish hair and makeup artists Alex Rendon and Adela Silvestre – or Osadia. The pair would be transforming people on a stage on the corner of Leeds and Garret streets both days from ‘‘ordinary to extraordinary’’, Rendon said.
Shops were getting on the festival spirit.
Madame Fancy Pants was having sessions of making fancy underwear, while other shops had DJs playing.
Wellington City Council is warning of parking restrictions and road closures around the city because of the events.
CubaDupa runs from midday to midnight today and from midday to 5pm tomorrow.
Associated road closures started at midnight last night and
board run till 5am on Monday. Dixon St, between Taranaki St and Victoria St, will be closed during this time, as will Ghuznee St between Taranaki St and Victoria St, Marion St, Garrett St, and Abel Smith St between Kelvin Grove and Kensington St.
Cuba St will be closed between Karo Dr and Wakefield St today and between Karo Dr and Dixon St tomorrow.
Jervois Quay, next to Frank Kitts Park, would have one lane closed during the Relay for Life, which runs from this afternoon till tomorrow morning. To see a gallery of photos of Kerr’s transformation, go to dompost.co.nz