Jason Kerrison has been announced as lead act for Christmas at the Park. Photo / Supplied
Jason Kerrison has been announced as lead act for Christmas at the Park. Photo / Supplied
Christmas is a little more than two months away and plans are already in play for Hawke's Bay events, on the premise Covid alert levels don't play spoilsport.
Hawke's Bay's biggest Christmas party, Property Brokers' Christmas at the Park, is on track to go ahead as planned on December 4.
Headlining the event is Opshop lead singer Jason Kerrison.
Kerrison and his band will be singing their best-loved tunes from the Opshop and The Babysitters Circus songbooks, alongside brand new tracks, and some of Kerrison's own favourite party classics.
Event organiser David Trim, of Kaisen Charitable Trust, said they were "very excited" to be able to bring Kerrison to Christmas at the Park.
"This past year has been tough for event managers and artists alike, and maybe on December 4 we will have the right combination of time, location and entertainer to keep Christmas on track in Hawke's Bay."
Trim said managing events with multiple outcomes to consider and plan for was like running three events at once and "really hard work".
"This is my 13th year organising Christmas at the Park and we haven't had to cancel or postpone one yet. Long may this continue."
Kerrison is a multi-platinum, multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and producer.
After Opshop and The Babysitters Circus, Kerrison continued to write, record and perform, between fencing and building projects on his block of land in Northland.
In 2011, he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for Services to Music.
This year's Christmas at the Park will be held at Anderson Park, Napier.
Other entertainment lined up includes an hour of Christmas carols, local artists and bands, with the unique pyrotechnics display, which has become one of the most popular parts of the event.
"This year's pyro show will be very different from past years, as we have produced a new concept in multi-dynamic storytelling," Trim said.
The nativity story will be told, overlaid with music and choreographed in the sky using a variety of light forms.
This year's pyrotechnics will not feature any loud explosions and is the result of several years of planning.
