The Fritter Festival is a good thing for Northland. PICTURE/Michael Cunningham
The Fritter Festival is a good thing for Northland. PICTURE/Michael Cunningham
Let's be honest, sometimes Whangarei isn't the classiest place, especially for a young person. Those who frequent the city centre's attempt at a nightclubbing scene will know what I mean.
Many young people engage in the habit of pre-loading alcohol so that everything seems funnier and drunken antics come tothe fore. Venture out and you'd expect to be verbally abused, have plenty of hearty yarns with old friends, and probably even be groped by a cougar or two and apparently that's a good night out.
Having seen clubs and pubs around the world, I can safely say weekends out in Whangarei "town" aren't all that exciting.
But, the Fritter Festival has given me hope. A festival of its nature is a positive thing for our youth to see.
A festival which has such a spread of ages, all there for the same purpose of enjoying the local food and wine while having a bit of a dance, is healthy.
Maybe it's just me, but, seeing children play nearby certainly keeps you more socially aware and you pull back on the alcohol consumption, which means the interactions people have seem more meaningful.
As a 24-year-old I was encouraged to see many young people enjoying the atmosphere and trying food and wine they otherwise wouldn't.
Call it culturing the youth if you like, but we're not that "classy" as a younger generation in Northland, or New Zealand, so seeing this is a big step forward for the region.
