The paddle steamer Waimarie has its annual Easter egg cruise on Easter Sunday.
Events for young and old are taking place across the Whanganui and Ruapehu regions this Easter Weekend.
They range from Easter cruises to a professional wrestling show and a beer festival.
Many landmarks across central Whanganui have had the Easter Bunny’s mark left on them thanks to special additions to The Great Whanganui Play Trail. The 20-stop trail now features rabbits to spot as it takes walkers on a tour of the city.
Sport Whanganui chief executive Danny Jonas said the additions were inspired by the trend of people putting teddy bears in their windows during the Covid-19 lockdown.
“The Easter Bunny came to town, found the trail and brought a whole lot of friends, and we’re not really sure where they are now,” he said.
Trail maps can be found at the Whanganui i-Site, and returning to the i-Site with the number of bunnies spotted will see people rewarded with a chocolatey treat.
Jonas said the trail was about encouraging whānau to get active over the holiday weekend.
“It’s not about the chocolate, it’s about getting out and doing a bit of physical activity with the family.”
Other events happening in the city include Capital Pro Wrestling and River City Pro Wrestling’s Heart of a Champion event at Churton School on Good Friday at 6.30pm. The event is a fundraiser for Whanganui’s Gemma O’Hagan, who has been experiencing heart issues and is fundraising to see a private cardiologist about her condition. Tickets can be bought via Eventfinda.
The 13th instalment of the Deep Fried series of electronic music mini-festivals takes place at Porridge Watson in Drews Ave on Saturday. Dubbed the ‘Whanganui Rumble’, the event brings a group of Wellington DJs to Whanganui to play with local talent. Tickets are available at the door.
The historic paddle steamer Waimarie holds its annual Easter Bunny Cruise on Easter Sunday, with the Easter Bunny taking a ride up the river with a basket full of eggs to hand out. Bookings for the cruise can be made via the Paddle Steamer Waimarie Facebook page.
Further north in Ruapehu, the Ohakune Beer Festival is on at Kings Ohakune on Saturday, with beer pouring from 2pm to 9pm.
Co-organiser Austin Hobson said this year’s festival would be the biggest of its three-year history. Four breweries will take part, including Whanganui brewers Lads Brewing and Roots Brewing Co. Accompanying them will be Wellington’s Abandoned Brewery and Ohakune’s Ruapehu Brewing, which Hobson founded.
There will also be a variety of musical acts at the festival, with acoustic performances by solo artists outside Kings during the day and a three-piece band and two-piece electronic act performing inside the bar once night falls.
A kids’ zone from 2pm to 5pm has been introduced after feedback from parents.
“We had feedback from previous years where some parents both wanted to go, but they had children.”
With this addition, the whole family can enjoy the festival on the lawn during the day.
Team Bbqwar will provide food out of their custom tank-styled cooker, along with food available from Kings.
Kings has a capacity of around 400 and great views of Mt Ruapehu, so Hobson encouraged people to buy a ticket and enjoy the views and brews.
Councils throughout the region have different rules governing which businesses can open over Easter.
Whanganui District Council compliance operations manager Jason Shalier said under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990, many shops must remain closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
However, the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Act 2016 means certain shops, including dairies, service stations, takeaway bars, restaurants and cafés, can remain open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Territorial authorities like city and district councils can also put in place local policies allowing shops to open on Easter Sunday in their area.
The Whanganui and Ruapehu districts have no such policies in place.
A Rangitīkei District Council spokesperson said the district had a policy allowing shop trading over Easter Sunday throughout the district, but shop workers also had the right to refuse to work on the holiday without providing a reason.
A “right to refuse” provision in the Shop Trading Hours Act means employees can refuse to work on Easter Sunday without fear of repercussions from their employers.