Market day ‘a good way’ to start the new year
BIGGER than ever, Kurow’s annual Festival Market Day provided people with the perfect ingredients to start the new year.
Despite a foreboding forecast for yesterday’s market, the sun put on a good show for the crowd of about 4000 people.
But the fear of sunburn did not stop Antony and Annabell Keith, of Christchurch, and their cousin Neveah McLintock, of Mt Somers, from dancing the morning away.
The children’s grandmother, Sharron Duffy, said dancing was their happy place and she had struggled to pull them away from the lovely tunes of busker Dee Jay.
It was the first time the children had attended the market and they could not get enough of it.
Among the bustling crowd and wagging dog tails, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Richard Nehoff was taking people for rides on a vintage fire engine.
Mr Nehoff said a few members of the Kurow Volunteer Fire Brigade had pitched in to purchase the Ford V8 many years ago, potentially saving it from disrepair.
It had since become a feature of the market, with the money raised from each ride going towards keeping it ‘‘tidy’’ and in ‘‘good nick’’.
Another key element of the market was Graham Hill, who was one of the festival’s founders.
Mr Hill, a member of committee for 18 years including 15 as president, said the market had experienced one of its biggest days.
The festival had grown so much in the last few years that the committee expanded the event further along the main street and down its side roads.
In 2018 the market had only 56 stalls, compared to the 89 stalls this year.
Committee member Sue McPhilimey said she did not know where all the new vendors were coming from but hoped they were there to stay.
Mrs McPhilimey said the goal of the market was to provide the community with a place to have fun and celebrate the new year.
She was pleased to see people living up to that goal by dancing to the live music.
‘‘If it’s all there ready for them, people will have spontaneous fun.
‘‘It’s a good way to start the year off.’’
ruby.heyward@alliedpress.co.nz