Manaaki Hapurona, 3, of Moerewa, with Disney Princesses Elsa (Brody-Leigh Glanfield) and Moana (Janayah Wadsworth) at Russell's Tamariki Carnival. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Manaaki Hapurona, 3, of Moerewa, with Disney Princesses Elsa (Brody-Leigh Glanfield) and Moana (Janayah Wadsworth) at Russell's Tamariki Carnival. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Northern Advocate
Russell was buzzing during the weekend with not one but two festivals on Saturday — a Tamariki Carnival with dozens of kids activities at Pompallier Mission and, for the grown-ups, an Italian Festival just a short stroll away at Hōne's Garden restaurant.
Both drew big crowds.
An estimated 500 people enjoyed the Tamariki Carnival, well up on the 150 or so of last year's inaugural event.
The big drawcard of the carnival, organised by Heritage NZ and Project Island Song, was a bevy of Disney Princesses, but there was also entertainment from Russell Ukulele Orchestra and choral group Bella a Capella as well as children's games, a bird trail, a vintage fire engine, bouncy castles, a petting zoo and more. All activities were free.
Over at a packed Hōne's Garden, guests enjoyed live Italian music, mountains of pizza, a Sophia Loren lookalike contest, and stalls featuring treats from the mother country such as limoncello. Bellissimo!
Supergirl (Jaya Hewetson) and Spiderman (Ash Jones) with Russell Fire Brigade's vintage Ford fire truck at Pompallier Mission's Tamariki Carnival. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Tehya Martin, of Auckland, makes friends in the petting pen with Caro's Crazy Critters. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Grace Dyer-Tewhata, 7, of Ōkaihau, models the latest in fashion headwear, a chicken from Caro's Crazy Critters. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Russell Ukulele Orchestra performs at Pompallier Mission's Tamariki Carnival. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Franny Howard, 3, of Kerikeri, with Disney Princesses Anna (Mya Rogers), Moana (Janayah Wadsworth) and Elsa (Brody-Leigh Glanfield). Photo / Peter de Graaf
Sisters Pippa, 5, and Elsie Small, 7, with Disney Princesses Anna (Mya Rogers) and Elsa (Brody-Leigh Glanfield). Photo / Peter de Graaf
Hihana Prime, 6, from Moerewa, gets her face painted by Kira Kammerer during Russell's Tamariki Carnival. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Asia Sagripanti, of Italy/Russell, backed by Andrea Lucco-Nabei, left, and Chris Albrecht, sings for an appreciative crowd during the Italian Festival at Hōne's Garden. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Janaina Aguiar, of Auckland, as Mario, the Italian game character, at Hōne's Garden. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Mathilde Jensen (Haruru/Denmark) and Noila Souza (Auckland/Brazil) raise a glass to all things Italian at Hōne's Garden. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Kerikeri's best-known Italian, Andrea Loggia, of Sovrano Limoncello, livestreams the event for Italophiles who couldn't get to Russell on Saturday. Photo / Peter de Graaf
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