Tune in to the 1970s for the Whanganui Vintage Weekend Riverside Shindig.
Photo / Supplied
Tune in to the 1970s for the Whanganui Vintage Weekend Riverside Shindig.
Photo / Supplied
The eighth annual Whanganui Vintage Weekend is upon us and an action-packed three days of festivities and fun lies ahead.
Whanganui Vintage Weekend is about celebrating the very best of every era and this year the Riverside Shindig on Sunday has a 1970s theme.
The free, family-friendly happening is thefinal major event of the weekend and Shindig co-organiser Annette Main said the weather forecast is fine and things are "looking fab".
"With live bands on stage, the 1970s song competition winners, food trucks with some retro food fads, and a pop-up bar featuring local brews, this is the time to kick back alongside the Whanganui River and listen to some great music," Main said.
"Get out those flares and tie-dyes and headbands, and get your groove on."
The Transistors playing at the 2019 Riverside Shindig.
Photo / Bevan Conley
Main said the decision was made this year to move the very popular fashion competition to Saturday when it will be held at Majestic Square as part of the Mainstreet Caboodle.
"It made perfect sense to combine the Sunday vintage fashion competition with the Saturday fashion parade, which has previously been held at Majestic Square as a separate event.
"We are delighted that Mainstreet took up our suggestion, and now have expanded their parade to include the vintage fashion competition in the same location.
"And we can concentrate on the music, which is the focus on Sunday afternoon."
The Vintage Song Contest, held at Lucky Bar + Kitchen early in December, required contestants to perform a 1970s song and the winner and runner-up will reprise their performances at the Shindig.
Further live performances will be provided by some of Whanganui's finest musicians.
Before the Shindig begins at 12pm, the Billy Webb Challenge rowing event will be held on the river from 10am.
The event commemorates New Zealand's first professional single sculling world champion William Webb's defence of his world title on the Whanganui River in 1908 and is part of Vintage Weekend for the first time this year.
The forecast is fine for Whanganui Vintage Weekend Riverside Shindig on Sunday.
Photo / Bevan Conley
Saturday and Sunday will also feature The Vintage Fair at 79 Victoria Ave, glass blowing demonstrations at NZ Glassworks, high teas and Devonshire teas at Bushy Park and a vintage art exhibition at Cooks Gallery.
For theatre fans, there will be an abridged pop-up performance of The Merchant of Venice at Patrick's Pre-Read Books, 65 Ridgway St, at 2pm on Saturday and Wanganui Repertory Theatre at 4 Ridgway St will be stepping back in time with music hall and improv' performances from 6.30pm on Saturday.
For dance lovers, the Vintage Summer Ball at Club Metro, 13 Ridgway St, begins at 7.30pm on Saturday.
And for lovers of vintage transport, there are numerous land sea and air experiences on offer. See whanganuivintageweekend.nz or visit the Whanganui Vintage Weekend Facebook page.
