Hurray! A great festival!

Whew! we made it! What a great festival!! Thanks so much to everyone who helped out Here are some pictures from the weekend…

Here come the floats! The fantastic Mitre 10 float all part of the Harcourts Street Parade by Kahu Youth that kicked off the festivities.

Superman! Into the lake at the Radio Wanaka Ray White Polar Plunge! Good thing McGregor’s brought the pies and Kiwi Tubs brought the hot tub!

Just one of the many incredible floating cardboard boats entered in the Kahu Youth Cardboard Boat Race on Saturday!

Here goes Punk the Clown in the Ruby Island Circus.

Agility training for young recyclers as part of the Wanaka Wastebusters Wheelie Bin Races.

One of the higher stacks just toppling down at the Meadowfresh Crate Stack Competition. Thanks to Aspiring Cranes and Wanaka Rock for providing the Cranes and Rock climbing gear.

Shear Comfort! In the Woolly insulated home!

Nicki  from Shear Comfort Wool Insulation is shown below in the roof of the festival house filling the ceiling with “supa fill”. Supa-Fill is a machine blown loose wool fibre product for the ceiling with a thermal rating ranging from R2.6. According to Nicki “Supa-Fill is a cost effective, quality insulation, which allows you to put your health and well-being first.” I checked out their product and it is soft and beautiful to touch! For more information on wool insulation check out their website: www.shearcomfort.co.nz

The nearly completed home!

Wow! I was just up the Wanakafest House and it is looking incredible! They have painted all the walls, the kitchen is nearly fitted. It is now fully carpeted, tiles, water is running… even the garage is carpeted! Well done to everyone involved in the project!

Here are some of the latest pictures from today:

This is me in the new “Dream Kitchen” donated by Dream Doors!

Ian Bell installs the front door.

Here is me again… in front of the beautiful new house.

Digger work on the landscaping all sponsored by Nichol Garden Centre. It is looking fantastic!

Wanakafest “Choc-Off”

As a part of our Food, Wine and Chocolate Affair on Sunday October 18th. We are searching for the Best Wanaka Chocolate Dessert! If you have a delicious chocolate speciality dessert, you are invited to to our Choc-off! To enter you need 2 identical desserts one that is prepared for 6 judges and one prepared for auction. The auction will act as your entry and a fundraiser for the future of our community festival!

Categories include: “Best Commercial Chocolate Dessert”, “Best Homemade Chocolate Dessert”, “Most Original Chocolate creation”  and “Best Overall Chocolate Dessert”

Judges will be a combination of 3 pre-selected judges and 3 randomly selected judges from the audience.

Passion 4 Fashion set for success

This years Passion 4 Fashion is gaining momentum and looking like it will be a spectacular event!

The show has attracted backing from successful local businesses Edgewater Resort and Wanaka Pharmacy who are the major sponsors of this years show. Leigh Stock and Aaron Heath have joined forces to support this show and the festival to ensure that it is a night to remember!

Wanakafest Event organiser Laurel Morrison says, the progress that this show has seen this year is all down to Kasha Szot.  Kasha is the Local Wanaka Owner/Operator of K-Dance Studios. She also runs and co-ordinated the local modelling agency and has been working with her models to co-ordinate the show. Kasha has taken this spectacular show under her wings and is turning it into an event to be respected nation wide! She has  gained the assistance of Gena Bagley-Konia as a proffessional make up artist for the show and the two of them have managed to attract  support by  International Make-up Brand Revlon. With Revlon on board, this is a fantastic opportunity for the growth of Wanakafest, as well as the Passion for Fashion show.

Kasha has attracted many local shops and designers and is excited about the momentum that the show is gaining. One this is sure, this is one night not to be missed!

Volunteers make Willowridge Wanakafest go round

Wanakafest is all about bringing our community together, celebrating this incredible place we are lucky enough to call home and having fun!

As you may have heard… the resurrection of Wanakafest is underway and now it is your opportunity to be involved in this fantastic event.

So many people have come forward to offer their services to the Stonewood House Build Project and as you read this, building work is underway. The slab was poured last week, frames are now up and builders are on site. To see who’s helped so far check out our sponsor’s page.

As you may have heard, the house will be auctioned during the festival among other items, and the proceeds will be put forward to a particular community project, which will be chosen by you, the community.

As amazing as these events sound, they can’t run without further community support.

“We need volunteers. We need them for various events and a wide range of activities. This is a great event and really fun to be involved in.” says the manager of the event Laurel Morrison.

If you would like to volunteer, it’s easy. Click here to download the registration form. Otherwise, if you prefer, pop into Mainly Tramping up-stairs in Spencer House Mall. There you can pick up a paper copy of the registration form. Once you’ve filled it in either drop it back to Mainly Tramping or pop it in the post.

“One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.”

Chinese proverb.

Willowridge Wanakafest’s Bright New Look Website

Welcome to the Brand New Willowridge Wanakafest website! Thanks so much to Jon Clamp at MacStudio for sponsoring this new site! We now have a fresh new face to show the world! The best thing about our new website is how easy it is to update you on what is happening with the festival. On the front page, I will keep posting new stories as the festival evolves, events are confirmed and people come on board to help. Keep checking back to see what is new and happening at the festival this year!

If you would like to be involved click this link. Once you have downloaded the form, print it out, fill it in and either drop it off at Mainly Tramping, Scan and email it back to info@wanakafest.co.nz or post it to PO Box 274 Wanaka. Look forward to meeting you soon!

Thanks again Jon for a great new website!

Willowridge Wanakafest 2009 New sponsors

Willowridge Wanakafest coordinator, Laurel Morrison, is pleased to announce new sponsors for its 2009 festival along with some ambitious plans to involve the local community in a new and extended range of festival activities.

Local property development company, Willowridge Developments Limited has signed a long term sponsorship package for Wanakafest and the event will now been known as Willowridge Wanakafest.

It is great Willowridge has come on board says Laurel, their financial support along with introducing ideas to grow the festival into something even more special is really appreciated.

Willowridge director, Allan Dippie, says he is delighted to not only support the event but also to contribute a hands on role to help market and extend the event both this year and in future years.

“Willowridge Wanakafest is a perfect match for our company … a local event for local people that celebrates all that’s good about living in the Upper Clutha community”.

The second major sponsorship announcement is Stonewood Homes whom will complete the construction of an exciting new home on a landscaped section, in the new subdivision of West Meadows, in time for the festival which is in October this year.

The house and land package, along with a range of other community donated items, will be sold at a Gala Auction on the final day of the festival on October 18th.

Laurel says money raised from the auction will then go towards securing future festivals along with providing funds towards a major community asset which has yet to be decided. “one idea we are looking at includes the possibility of building a water feature at the dinosaur Park and we would love to hear from the community about other projects that they think would be suitable”.

“Because the aim of Wanakafest is to celebrate Wanaka, we decided that the house build and auction funds should go back to the community. This project will ensure Wanakafest has a strong platform to grow from in future years, while at the same time creating something tangible for the community to enjoy”.

Local Stonewood Homes owners, John Herbert and Mark Harry are very excited about the whole project … “Already we have strong support signaled from a range of suppliers prepared to donate materials to the project and our local sub contractors are pleased to come on board and individuals wishing to help complete the home from planting plants to making cups of tea will be welcome to get involved”.

“All sponsors and groups whom help make this project happen will be acknowledged at the community , it’s a real opportunity to get involved and help make a project chosen by the community a reality”.

Laurel concluded “we are delighted to welcome both Willowridge and Stonewood Homes to the new Willowridge Wanakafest and now we have got the ball rolling we hope to announce more Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorships from a variety of local companies in the near future”.

“We will also soon be able to announce more of the exciting new festival activities we are working on as part of the 2009 festival”.

Great Community Support for Willowridge Wanakafest 2009

Over 50 people turned up at Basecamp last night to support the up and coming Spring Festival, due to be held from October 15-18th this year.

Organiser Laurel Morrison said “I was delighted and encouraged by such a great turn out on a cold mid-week, winters night. There were adventure outfitters, local businesses, trades suppliers and artists! It was a wonderful to see so many people and I think it bodes well for the future of the festival.”

People learnt about the upcoming Willowridge Wanakafest and were encouraged to get involved in any way they can.

They also learnt about plans for the Stonewood Homes House Build Project, which involves raising money for the future of the community festival, and a community project that is to be built during next year’s festival.

Organisers will be seeking ideas from the public for the community project. They are planning to put a plaque on the structure with the names of all who helped with the house build.

John Herbert of Stonewood Homes said “we want a plaque on what ever we build so that all those who help with this project are recognised and so that future generations can see who helped make it happen.”

If people are interested in getting involved with the community festival, they are encouraged to get in touch with festival organiser Laurel Morrison at 443 2273. She is looking for support for event sponsorship, house build supplies, entertainment, prizes or donations and volunteers.