Tairua set to don flip-flops for spring fling

Tairua with Pepe Reserve on the banks of the Tairua River.

A festival organised by Tairua’s business community and celebrating the traditional summer jandal is about to return for a second year.

The Tairua Spring Fling was launched in 2023 by the recently formed Tairua Business Association, an incorporated society launched to help connect, empower and grow businesses and community in the Tairua area.

A wearable jandal fashion show, jandal races, jandal throwing competitions, face painting, historic walk and talk tours, boot sales, along with stalls and tug of war will feature in 2024.

In a letter of application for funding to be considered by the Tairua-Pauanui Community Board on Monday, business association treasurer Matt Juby said the inaugural event in November 2023 comprised many stallholders from within the town and surrounding areas.

The festival was designed to attract bach owners and tourists back to the area for the weekend, at a time when the town was struggling, after several years of lower tourism due to Covid-19 and the closure of State Highway 25.

In an attached draft budget, Juby said it would cost about $4000 to stage the event.

“This year we aim to make the event more significant than last year, with over 50 stallholders indicating they will participate.”

The event is scheduled to be held on November 30 at Pepe Reserve, Main Rd, Tairua.

Juby said the association anticipated increased visibility from the main road location after the inaugural event was held on the sports grounds in nearby Cory Park, Manaia Rd, away from the main centre.

The new site would encourage visitors to stop in Tairua to see what was happening, Juby said.

“In addition to stall and a car boot sale, we will run family-oriented events, mainly revolving around the jandal.”

The association was seeking $1000 from the community board to assist with event prizes.

“Like last year, our prizes involved goods and vouchers purchased from local businesses, encouraging people to visit shops they don’t usually frequent, and spend a bit more,” Juby said.

“This event is anticipated to bring additional people to Tairua for the weekend, increasing spending in our business community; the fun family events are designed to put a smile on people’s faces and lift their spirits, raising expectations of a great summer in Tairua.”

Juby said the long-term plan was to make it a regular annual festival.