Women's aerobic class.
The Whanganui Women’s Network is seeking expressions of interest for La Fiesta 2025, Whanganui’s home-grown celebration of women and community.
La Fiesta is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading and longest-running women’s festival.
The 16th festival programme is set to roll from February 8 to March 8 in Whanganui next year and expressions of interest are open for submission until November 8.
La Fiesta provides opportunities for our community to meet incredible women going about their ordinary lives in truly remarkable ways, demonstrating their can-do attitudes, courage, skills and talents and unique wisdom.
The diversity of the people of Whanganui is the real inspiration for La Fiesta, a party to which the whole community is invited. Men are welcome to partner with the festival too.
Festival events include everything from art exhibitions, workshops, music and performance opportunities, give-it-a-go sports activities, cultural and spiritual exploration, social events and some good old-fashioned fun.
As the founder and co-ordinator of La Fiesta, Women’s Network manager Carla Donson is delighted the festival continues to capture the imagination of people in Whanganui.
“Our 2024 festival was our second largest ever with around 120 events and more than 100 festival partners and venues across our community.”
Importantly, La Fiesta celebrates the depth of local talent as a cornerstone of the festival’s ethos.
Donson is particularly keen to hear from wāhine Māori and Pasifika women, as well as women from our diverse cultural communities keen to contribute an activity or event during the month-long festival.
La Fiesta continues to attract presenters from all over New Zealand and has included award-winning artists, comedians, musicians, performers and writers. Interest has already been received from women around the North Island wanting to perform in or partner with the festival programme.
La Fiesta has developed a reputation as a safe and inclusive platform, especially for women, to showcase their talents and share their skills.
One of the focal points of the festival is its celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) commemorated annually on March 8, with 2025 heralding its 114th anniversary.
IWD was established in 1911 and is officially sanctioned by the United Nations as a day to reflect on women’s progress and to continue challenging for change.
Celebrated as a national public holiday in almost 30 countries around the world, IWD continues to provide opportunities for political mobilisation and consciousness-raising about gender equity.
If you would like to run an event in the festival, know someone who does, or simply have some neat ideas about what you’d like to see in the programme, get in touch with Carla Donson.
“I am happy to meet up and chat, arrange a time to talk online, or exchange emails. It is always exciting to see what comes forward from the community, it’s what makes the festival programme so unique from year to year.”
■ For more information about the festival programme you can leave a message by phoning the Women’s Network [06] 345 6833 or email womnet.whanganui@gmail.com. Explore what past festivals have involved by visiting the Women’s Network Whanganui or La Fiesta NZ Facebook pages, or the official festival website: http://lafiesta.co.nz.