Rain and grey skies over Kerikeri are reflected in a shop window with a sign advising of the cancellation. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Rain and grey skies over Kerikeri are reflected in a shop window with a sign advising of the cancellation. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Kerikeri's famous Street Party, which was due to kick off at 5pm today, has been cancelled.
The cancellation was due to ongoing rain making it unsafe to power the lighting and sound equipment needed to stage the festivities, Kerikeri Street Party Committee spokeswoman Tracey Bree said.
"Unfortunately we had tomake the call to cancel the street party today due to the weather and not being able to have power to the street in these conditions. Basically public safety was paramount," she said.
The committee, which was "gutted" by the cancellation, was considering whether the party could be held at a later date.
Thirty food outlets and 13 wineries and craft breweries were to have taken part. Twenty-five of the stands required power to operate.
Other events around Kerikeri, including at Rock Salt, the Homestead and La Taza Del Diablo, are going ahead as planned.
In other years more than 4000 people have turned out for the party, which was founded in 2009 to persuade out-of-town runners in the Kerikeri Half Marathon to stay an extra night instead of heading home straight after the Saturday afternoon prizegiving.
Weather during the half marathon was overcast with light showers but the rain picked up in intensity during the afternoon.
