Dannevirke Day set for revamped market day tomorrow

Di Carter, left, Diana Mancer and Harold Orsborn serve up treats at the last market day held in Dannevirke. Photo File

Entertainment has been organised, the stallholders booked and all looks set for a bumper Dannevirke Day tomorrow.

Dannevirke Community Board is revamping the annual market day that aims to bring the community together to celebrate all that is good about the town.

The Dannevirke market day was traditionally held on the Friday of Labour weekend, which also happened to be Hawke's Bay Anniversary Day.

It's anticipated there will be increased traffic through Dannevirke as people leave Hawke's Bay to make the most of the four-day weekend.

Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce organised the market day for six years but reluctantly decided last year that it would not go ahead.

The cost of running the event and the traditionally unpredictable weather late in October had seen the chamber pull the plug on the event.

At the July meeting of the Dannevirke Community Board member Pat Walshe said he and fellow member Kim Spooner-Taylor wanted to go ahead with the market day but with a fresh approach.

On Tuesday newly re-elected board member Ross Macdonald said final details of the market day had been finalised.

There will be 40 stalls set out along High St, and that's not including local businesses who will be setting up stalls outside their stores.

Stallholders from the Dannevirke Country Market held at the Dannevirke A and P Showgrounds on the last Saturday of the month will this month be setting up along High St a day early.

Macdonald said it didn't make sense to have two markets a day apart.

"We decided not to charge any of the stallholders to take part in the market as we wanted to attract as many as we could," he said.

Along with plenty of goods to buy, and plenty of bargains and market day specials, there will also be a food stalls, including Dannevirke Lions and Dannevirke Rotary Club.

Local cafes will also be setting up tables and chairs on the street.

Entertainment will be provided by Tom Kamura and Pete Tairea and Evolve Performing Arts Centre students.

With the weather being so unsettled and Friday's MetService forecast predicting fine weather at first then spots of rain from midday, a contingency plan has been put in place.

Walshe said he had been given access to the old Deka store which recently sold.

He said there was plenty of room to set up a large number of stalls should the weather turn really bad.

The market will officially run from 10am until 3pm with stallholders setting up from 9am.
Dannevirke's Fantasy Cave will open up especially for Dannevirke Day.