Tymon white and Nathan Elan from the Cool Bananas team dressed ready for Tuesday's show. Photo / Supplied
Tymon white and Nathan Elan from the Cool Bananas team dressed ready for Tuesday's show. Photo / Supplied
Te Kopuru multicultural festival It is been 15 years since Te Kopuru School first hosted a multicultural festival to celebrate diversity and encourage positive attitudes about different cultures.
Kapa haka groups from four local schools will be entertaining the audience throughout the day. Photo / File
Each year they have built on the success of the previous, established great support from the community and sponsors which enables all funds raised to go back into the school of 128 students to support future learning.
There will be activities for all ages at this Saturday's event including a horizontal bungee, paintball target shooting and a hangi. Performances from Circus Kumurani, The Ukulele Orchestra and kapa haka groups from four local schools will also be entertaining the audience throughout the day.
The Te Kopuru Performing Arts Festival, held December 1 at 9 Norton St, Te Kopuru, opens with a powhiri at 9.30am. Everyone is welcome.
Cool Bananas Christmas show Cool Bananas was started by Andy and Wendy Stott in the Bay of Plenty, to encourage children to excel by instilling values and life skills with a Christian perspective.
Lydia Savage, originally from Dargaville, is this year's narrator for the Christmas show, after interning for the Cool Bananas Youthwork Trust. Photo / Supplied
Now over 20 years later, it has expanded from the initial lunchtime programme, to be delivered in 16 schools in the Tauranga region and four here in the Kaipara.
Grant Vincent as "King Herod" from Cool Bananas' "No room at the innperial". Photo / Supplied
Christine Herald, Marion McEwing, and Grant and Pauline Taylor are the local volunteers who present and deliver the programme to Dargaville Primary, Te Kopuru, Arapahoe and Selwyn Park schools.
As part of that work, they also raise funds to bring the Tauranga Cool Bananas team to Dargaville to deliver their Christmas show. This show incorporates music, humour and Christian themes to tell the story of Christmas. It also encourages audience contribution with several local children participating in delivering the messages.
All families are invited to "No room at the innperial"at Dargaville Baptist Church, on Tuesday, December 4 at 5.30pm. Koha welcome.
Little theatre Xmas production Charlie's Xmas Adventure has its opening, and closing shows this weekend, with 19 local children performing a limited run of the show at the Dargaville Little Theatre.
Zach Parkinson, left, Seth Eve Rumsey, Ezra Scott, Reuben Eve Rumsey and Hine Tutapu, in costume for this weekend's performances. Photo / Supplied
The production which is written and directed by Dargaville's Eryn Wilson-Collins is about a little girl who is disenchanted with the Christmas season who learns lessons about what's really important in life.
According to Wilson-Collins, rehearsals have gone well, with all actors working very hard. Nearly half of the cast is new to the theatre group.
"It is all coming together now and becoming very real for our first-timers. It will be a massive weekend for them all and I really hope we get some great audiences."
If you wish to enjoy the festivities, head to the Dargaville Little Theatre, 241 Victoria St today, Friday, November 30, at 6pm; Saturday, December 1 at 11am or 2pm; or on Sunday, December 2 at 2pm. Tickets are $5 or a family special with four tickets for $15.
Dargaville Little theatre is also starting casting for its adult production. Anyone wanting to try out for The Sound of Music, directed by local Keith Allen, should order an audition pack by emailing dargavillelittletheatre@gmail.com and attend the auditions on December 9 at 1.30pm.
■ Email editor@northernadvocate.co.nz if you have news from the Kaipara you would like to share with Northern Advocate readers.
