These four Dannevirke Floral Art ladies were creating designs at their September meeting for their exhibition in October called “Festive”. From left: Theo Henricksen, Tina Roulston, Robin Winter and Lynne Mitchell. The exhibition is part of the line-up of events for Dannevirke's Spring Festival.
These four Dannevirke Floral Art ladies were creating designs at their September meeting for their exhibition in October called “Festive”. From left: Theo Henricksen, Tina Roulston, Robin Winter and Lynne Mitchell. The exhibition is part of the line-up of events for Dannevirke's Spring Festival.
The 2024 Dannevirke Spring Calendar published by the Dannevirke Community Board spanning September to November has a huge number of attractions in which local organisations set out to display what they do.
Already in September alone, the community has been able to view the Origin Studios Spring Showcase, top squash sponsored by Scanpower, the Woodville Races (twice), the Kapahaka Festival, golf croquet the Toy Library and a very special visitor the Royal New Zealand Air Force Jazz Orchestra.
With the arrival of October, there are even more opportunities.
Four of these land on one weekend (October 19-20) dubbed by some the Super Weekend when visitors can visit a range of craft groups – Dannevirke Floral Art, Dannevirke Cottage Quilters, Dannevirke Spinners and Weavers and Tararua Federation of Women’s Institutes - if time over the weekend is carefully managed.
Veteran Tararua Federation of Women’s Institutes member Helen Monteith shows her top prize-winning contributions in 2022.
These groups have been regulars on the Spring Calendar for many years but declining membership meant they chose not to put on their shows in 2023. In 2024 they are back.
The shows are open between 9.30am and 4pm Saturday as well as 10am-3pm Sunday and luckily are fairly closely located allowing quick trips between.
Tararua Federation of Women’s Institutes has an early start on Friday, October 18, collecting craft items from as far away as Hawke’s Bay most of the day and judging them before opening to the public from 3pm-4pm in the Dannevirke Sports Club.
Main display will be on Saturday 10am-3pm with a range of crafts including machine sewing, handcraft, knitting, crocheting, handspun and woven items. Come see the range of creations the product of great skill and concentration. They are not open on Sunday.
In 2022 the Dannevirke Cottage Quilters mounted a huge quilt exhibition much admired by visitor Rosemary Moss.
Dannevirke Cottage Quilters and Dannevirke Spinners and Weavers share the A&P Produce Hall on Saturday and Sunday and a huge range of quilts made by club members will be there for you to judge. They range from king size to tiny newborn baby covers. The quilters donated 76 of the latter to the Dannevirke Maternity Unit in 2023 and there are plenty to view for this year.
They also donated 51 larger quilts to Foster Hope – an organisation which provides for people made homeless for whatever reason. Club members also seek other challenges like creating different quilts from the same piece of cloth. Come see the variety.
Dannevirke Spinners and Weavers on show in 2022 just as they will be on Super Weekend.
Dannevirke Spinners and Weavers will be displaying exactly what they do - spinning and knitting with examples of woven, knitted and spun items as well. There will even be a spare spinning wheel for visitors to try.
Dannevirke Floral Art loves this time of the year. Gorgeous flowers abound and are fashioned into designs ranging from floor-standing creations to tiny petite designs just 10 centimetres square. Displays will be on show from 9.30am to 4pm both Saturday and Sunday.
The club’s theme for this year is “Festive” and visitors should look for examples in the Rawhiti Lodge next to Vet Services, 191 High St, for designs labelled “Fabulous Fan”, “Razzle Dazzle”, “Bubble of Colour”, “Frivolous” and the mighty “Carnival” standing head-high from the floor.
The Spring Festival continues with the opening of the Dannevirke Theatre Company’s Production of Annie on October 23 in the Town Hall and the Dannevirke (Market) Day in High St on Friday, October 25 just before Labour Day.
This year the Dannevirke Art Society is holding its expo in Woodville at the Rinitawa Galleries October 22-25.
