Hats galore at Mad Hatters Party
It was a party worthy of the Madhatter at Fountaine Square in Woodville on Sunday, November 17.
Despite forecasts of rain, organisers faced a shower about 9am but then hosted a cloudy warm day punctuated by bursts of sunshine.
With the arrival of 360 visitors off the train from Manawatu¯ at 10.30am Fountaine Square took on a real festive look, many of the passengers dressed up to match some pretty creative locals.
They wandered amongst the stalls which offered every kind of temptation from garden plants, fashionwear, jewellery, sheep cheeses, honey, soaps and balms, haberdashery and crafts.
Food was plentiful, ranging from pancakes sold to help refurbish the railway station, Filipino meals which raised $300 towards earthquake relief in the Philippines, sausage sizzles, icecreams and coffee while up on Vogel St the cafes did a steady trade.
Although most of the focus was on Fountaine Square, the stalls in the Stadium and Old Folks Hall along with the art in the Lindauer Centre attracted a consistent flow of patronage.
With Radio Woodville pumping out music and messages, pausing to let the Dannevirke Pipe and Brass Bands perform in the rotunda, the atmosphere was very relaxed and happy.
Shortly after midday the only formal part of the day — the announcing of the winning hats and costumes — took place.
Councillor Peter Johns and mayor Tracey Collis officiated.
Judging was a tough task, the winner in the children’s hat section being Liam Sherriff with a hat modelled on Shrek’s dragon, complete with wings which flapped, made by his dad. Natalie Paterson, 3, was second with a hat she and her mum created.
There were lots of adult hats but stallholder Maire Thompson won with Dot Johnstone’s second placed hat made from balloons with dots on them from her recent 80th birthday party.
People really like to dress up and there were so many costumes it was hard to make a choice as groups came dressed as combinations.
Several groups like Steampunk Palmerston North and Futures Past were in period costumes, others dressed as pantomime characters. Adult placegetters were Bridie Thomas (first) and Lorraine Edgar (second) who made her clothes from recycled material including a duvet.
Organiser Sharon Brass of Woodville District Vision was delighted with the event, relieved the weather had behaved, sorry the forecast had put off half of the 90 stallholders registered but determined to put on another for next year with 560 already booked on the train.