Here's hoping the weather warms up for the Spring Festival. Photo / Leanne Warr
Here's hoping the weather warms up for the Spring Festival. Photo / Leanne Warr
It will be a busy few weeks as Spring Festival gets underway in Dannevirke.
After a much-reduced festival last year, there are a number of events happening in the area.
Norsewood's Museum, created from an early cottage. Photo / NZME
Norsewood will be holding a Settlers Day on September 24 to celebrate 150 years since the first settlers arrived in1872.
The heritage village will be open for people to visit and locals will be telling stories and providing demonstrations of how things were 150 years ago.
Dannevirke High School will be holding a talent quest on September 29, starting at 7pm. Organiser Ross MacDonald promises a great lineup of talent.
Tickets are $10 for single and $20 for families.
Action from the warmup between Hastings West and Dannevirke Ross Shield teams last week. Dannevirke will be hosting the tournament this year. Photo / NZME
Dannevirke will be hosting the Ross Shield rugby tournament from October 3 to October 8 at Rugby Park in Gertrude St.
Retailers in town have been invited to participate in a window display competition and get creative with yellow and black, with prizes for the best dressed.
Teams will parade down the main street on October 4 between 10am and 11am – Stanley St/High St will be closed to traffic between Rawhiti St and McPhee St.
The next event will be the Spring Market in the Gardens at Little Gem Garden Centre in Laws Rd on October 9 from 9am to 2pm.
There will be artisan stalls, food and beverages, entertainment and activities for the kids on the day.
The festival's big weekend will be October 15-16 and MacDonald said there would be a few things going on.
Starting on Friday, October 14, the Tararua Federation of Women's Institute will be holding its 71st handcraft show at the Sports Club in the A&P showgrounds.
On display will be a variety of handcrafts, including machine-sewn to knitted, crocheted and woven items.
The hall will be open from 2pm to 4pm on Friday for competition entries and then to the public from 9am to 4pm on Saturday and 9am to 2pm on Sunday.
Cottage Quilters will be holding their biannual show on October 15 and 16 at the Home Industries Hall at the showgrounds.
Clever creations will be on display when Dannevirke's Floral Art Group hold their annual exhibition at Rawhiti Lodge.
Dannevirke's Floral Art Group will also be holding its exhibition that weekend at Rawhiti Lodge, 191 High St from 9.30am to 4pm.
A celebration of Dannevirke's 150 years will be held on October 16.
Organisers MacDonald and Dave Murdoch said there were a number of things planned for the day, which would start with a memorial church service, followed by a high tea at the town hall.
Dannevirke will celebrate 150 years of settlement in October. Photo / Leanne Warr
Murdoch said Rob McDonald, who wrote Dannevirke: the Early Years, was expected to be a guest speaker, talking on the early history of Dannevirke.
The 16th was also an appropriate date to hold the celebration as it was the day the settlers arrived.
It was hoped a representative from the Danish embassy would also be able to attend.
Thomas Kamura and Peter Tairea entertained passersby at last year's annual market day. Photo / Leanne Warr
Dannevirke's annual market day will be held on October 21, with a number of stalls spread along High Street.
Shire's Fruit and Vege shop will be celebrating its centenary on Labour weekend, with plans still being finalised for the event.
Dannevirke Theatre Company will be putting on a show called Jukebox on October 28 and 29, then on November 4 and 5.
The rest of November will also be chock full of events with the annual Norsewood Flower show, then Dancing Queen – the Abba Tribute concert on November 20 and Helen Carver's Modern School of Music pupils' concert on the same night, followed by the Viking Choir spring concert on November 26.
