Hastings events to revive buzz
Bring back the buzz! Starting from June and running until February next year, the Hastings District Council will initiate its Covid recovery plan.
To bring the “buzz” back to the city, the council and the Hastings City Business Association (HCBA) have planned numerous events, art installations and activities.
Last week, Hastings district councillors approved the action plan in a full council meeting.
In the meeting, Hastings District Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said it had been a tough time for the inner-city business community due to Covid, and it was time to get people back into the city centre.
“With the help of our partners who will be working to deliver these events, we want to rebuild and get back to where we were two years ago,” she said.
As part of the initiative, big plans for an upcoming Matariki Festival to celebrate the newest public holiday are underway.
Other events include an extended Blossom Festival, Taste Hastings Festival, and additions to traditional Christmas events.
Residents can also look forward to a new string of art installations known as The Apple Project, where art installations of apples will be placed in public spaces throughout the district.
And in summer, activities such as a bombing competition in the Havelock North Village Pool will launch the swimming season.
“This will be a fabulous few months to bring people into town and get them really excited about all the amazing stuff happening in Hastings,” Hazlehurst said.
The action plan does not include the many events planned for reopening the Municipal Building in August.
The plan proposal came at an estimated unbudgeted cost of $340,000, which will come from existing budget surpluses or redistribution with no rating impact.
The Hastings District Council has chosen the partnership approach and applied for funding, with particular efforts to secure external funding or sponsorships, explained the mayor.
While HDC is taking the lead in developing this plan, its partners will deliver it with council support and assist with sourcing funding to reduce the costs to the council, Hazlehurst said.
The district council wrote to the businesses operating in the city centre to thank them for all their hard work and commitment to Hastings.
“We are proud of our passionate and truly unique CBD community of exceptional people, who continue to invest in and improve our city; and with their support, we will make our CBD even greater.”