Twizel to hold its first Autumn Festival
A festival showcasing ‘‘all things autumn’’ will be held in Twizel this weekend.
It is a first for the town and will ‘‘celebrate all things autumn,’’ Twizel Promotions and Development Association (TPDA) event coordinator Debra Hunter said.
The scenery around the area during autumn was ‘‘stunning’’, she said.
‘‘It certainly looks beautiful, especially on a day like today when there’s clear skies and colourful trees.’’
While Hunter had only been in the role for five weeks, she believed the TPDA had been discussing the event for the past year.
‘‘I guess with their heads together, they’ve decided what a wonderful way to celebrate the beautiful time of year up here.’’
TPDA spokesman Luke Paardekooper said he raised the idea with the TPDA committee, and committee members had ‘‘run with it’’.
‘‘With the spectacular colours that we have here in the Mackenzie and in Twizel, we really wanted to just showcase that and get visitors into the area at a time of year when it’s a little bit quieter.’’
The inaugural festival will take place this Saturday, and starts at 6.30am, with a photography tutorial run by Ara Institute of Technology’s photography tutor Wendy Clarke, Hunter said.
‘‘So they can catch the sunrise and also the changing colours of the trees at Wairepo Arm.’’
After the tutorial there will be a guided bike ride, and from 11am there will be an Autumn Market at Market Place in Twizel.
‘‘Right in the market square here we’re having the craft, food and music market... so that’s got some great food stalls and craft stalls, and the band Saggy Britches from Oamaru,’’ Hunter said.
Performer Josh Grimaldi will also be putting in appearance, and there will be a Literature on the Lawn event from 12pm, she said.
‘‘People can come up and do a three minute [reading]. They can either read a poem or recite something or whatever they feel they would like to share with people.’’
There would be another bike ride during the afternoon which would go via the Loch Cameron and down the canals, and the festival would finish up at Lake Ruataniwha at 4.30pm where the second photo tutorial would take place.
‘‘If you’re active you could go off for a bike ride if you want, if you don’t you could just come in and check out the craft and food market.
‘‘You can do your photos if you like to do that.’’
Twizel Holiday Park owner Janelle Shaw said cabins at the camping ground were ‘‘fully booked’’ and had been since October last year. She was the new owner of the business but said historic records showed October to May had always been a busy time.
A couple of other Twizel accommodation providers spoken to said they weren’t aware of the festival, but bookings were looking good anyway.