Visitors can expect a colourful parade on Napier's Emerson St at the height of the annual Art Deco Festival. Photo / Paul Taylor
Visitors can expect a colourful parade on Napier's Emerson St at the height of the annual Art Deco Festival. Photo / Paul Taylor
Fine weather is being forecast for all four days of this week’s Napier Art Deco Festival, and more summery relief is on the way for Wairoa and its big events after heavy rain at the weekend.
By early afternoon on Tuesday, the weather in Napier was on track to betterthings with the temperature above 25C about 1pm.
Improvement was forecast, which would be particularly welcome in northern Hawke’s Bay where rainfall this month is already three times the February average. Winds and some showers were still being forecast for the Tararua District.
Temperatures in Napier were expected to peak about 27C on Friday, 23C on Saturday and 26C on Sunday.
Napier Art Deco Trust general manager Jeremy Smith said the likelihood of fine weather “will bring them out” for free events such as Saturday’s early-afternoon vintage car parade through Emerson St, the air shows and the general vibes on the streets.
Aircraft flyovers will start at 6pm on Friday, noon on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday, with aircraft on display around the Napier Aero Club at Hawke’s Bay Airport.
The new Art Deco Centre, which opened last year in the former Women's Rest rooms in Memorial Square, will be a destination for many visitors this week. Photo / Doug Laing
There will be events in Memorial Square, around where the Art Deco Centre was established last year in the renovated, century-old former Women’s Rest rooms, and the street life on Marine Parade and nearby, with those areas closed to traffic.
Flyovers are scheduled for Friday at 6pm, noon on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday. Photo / Paul Taylor
More than 5000 tickets have been sold for paid events, which focus around fashion, performance and dining, and Smith said online booking details show people will be coming to Napier from Britain, the US, Canada, Singapore, Australia and possibly other countries.
There will also be Steam Incorporated’s vintage trains, including an excursion from the Kāpiti Coast and several trips from Napier during the festival, with tickets still available.
Smith said, judging by recent trends, the influx of visitors would start on Wednesday and build up to the weekend.
In Wairoa, a busy few days kicks off with the East Coast Farming Expo at Wairoa’s Te Kupenga Racecourse on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Wairoa River powerboat and water ski racing is on Saturday and Sunday after being postponed amid storm warnings last month.
The racing starts at 9am each day, with the waterway closed to all except those involved with the competition.
Saturday features water ski and powerboat racing off the Marine Parade frontage, along with qualifying for the Ian Reeves Memorial Sprint Ski Race on Sunday, which will also feature the King of the River Powerboat Race.
Other events in Hawke’s Bay this weekend include the Paladin Hawke’s Bay Sevens Rugby Tournament in Waipukurau on Saturday, and the Kindred Cup cricket tournament at Nelson Park, Napier, where 16 social cricket club teams, including two from Australia, will play on Saturday and Sunday.
Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter based in Napier, with more than 40 years’ experience covering issues and events across the region.
