“Whangārei is a beautiful place. We want to offer something for families and friends and connect people and communities.”
The family are working with Whangārei District Council-backed Multicultural Whangārei’s Suzette Monroe to put on the event, which is also being hosted by Authentic Flavours.
It has been organised for the school holidays so whole families can all enjoy it.
Sharma said she was hoping for about 600 people to attend, double the attendance figure for the first community event in 2025.
The event is modelled loosely on a major Indian festival of colours, love and spring.
People around the world celebrate this festival, marked by throwing colourful powders on one another in joyous celebration.
Societal rankings such as caste, gender, age and status are forgotten in the spirit of making merry together, and everyone is fair game to be doused with colour.
Participants at the Whangārei festival are encouraged to wear white, which will likely become the canvas for unique mixes of red, blue, yellow, orange, green and pink as people hurl coloured powders over each other.
However, Sharma said people did not have to wear white or take part in throwing colours over others or having colours thrown on to them.
“It’s completely optional.”
Sharma said the event is pet-friendly.
A white dog attending last year’s festival also ended up happily multi-coloured.
She said Whangārei’s Colours in the Park may have Indian roots but it was firmly a Kiwi day out, being held for all people.
People from Whangārei and beyond were welcome.
Indonesian and Thai dancing will be among festival offerings, which will also feature ethnic foods and stalls, along with children’s games.
Participants will also be eligible to win the award for the event’s most colourful person after the paint-throwing.
The eco-friendly, kid-friendly, stain-proof red, blue, yellow, orange, green and pink festival powders are made in New Zealand.
Sharma ran a school-based festival predecessor for Whangārei Girls’ High School.
This year’s Colours in the Park will be held at William Fraser Memorial Park from 10am-3pm on February 1, with friends and strangers alike participating in the playful throwing of powders, followed by feasts and community bonding.
Sharma and her parents moved from India to New Zealand in 2016. They lived in Auckland initially but shifted to Whangārei in 2020.
She said it was great to be able to offer options for people from around the district and it was good to provide an opportunity for young people to get off their internet devices.
Sharma will be returning to Auckland University of Technology for her second year of studying computer sciences soon after the festival.
She aims to work in cyber security.
Sharma has lived in New Zealand since she was 6, and is passionate about blending people and cultures.
That extends to her home where, the family have two bilingual budgies, Mintu and Tara.
“They speak Hindi and English, but mostly English,” Sharma said.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
