Maketu Seafood festival bigger than ever

Annual Kaimoana Festival at Maketu. Photo/supplied

There's no better way to celebrate Waitangi Day than a festival by the sea and Maketu is set to host its ninth annual kaimoana festival doing just that.

"What makes our festival special is that it is an occasion to celebrate with community and family," says organiser David Campbell of Maketu Rotary. "People just bring their marquees and blankets and they settle in for the day."

This year the festival has a retro vibe and the feature artist is '60's and '70s rock star Shane, singer of the award-winning 1969 hit Saint Paul.

All members of the family are catered for and kids have a special designated area where there are bouncy castles, face painting and balloons.

Local operator Aerius Helicopters are also supporters of the event, giving helicopter rides at reasonable prices. "They are always popular and they have queues all day long for the helicopter rides and this is a great help to our fundraising," says Mr Campbell.

The festival is the major fundraiser for Maketu Rotary. Over the years the event had given about $90,000 to community projects, including the marae, schools, the local surf club, fire brigade, Coastguard, youth projects and local conservation projects.

This year features a wider range of food vendors and variety of wines and beers for the 2000 people expected. There'll also be a range of craft stalls from local crafts people and artists.

the fine print
What: Maketu Kaimoana Festival
Where: Maketu Sports Ground When: Saturday, February 6, noon-6pm
Tickets: Adults $20, kids $10, under 5 free.