Multiple stages offer choice

A couple dancing near one of the multiple stages at the Downtown Carnival on the Strand on Saturday. Photo / Andrew Warner

The sun was shining and the air was alive with the sounds of jazz, swing, funk and blues on the Strand as the Downtown Carnival picked up pace on Saturday.

For just a gold coin festival-goers were treated to a range of tunes, with multiple stages set up along the waterfront on Saturday and Sunday.

After the wet week Tauranga had, the hot, dry weather played its part as crowds went to the Strand to enjoy the live music.

Aside from the stages, there were buskers performing music and tricks.

Bars were chock-full of people enjoying the music with a cold beverage in hand.

Karen Kressin, visiting from Days Bay near Wellington, said she loved the carnival atmosphere that had been created on the waterfront. "It's a nice venue, with the different stages available and some of the buskers around are really good," she said.

"We saw some swing dancers early on who looked like they were having a ball."