Music festival proves to be popular

Josh Crawford, singer with Whangarei band Co-Lab, at the Whangarei Fritter Festival at Toll Stadium in March that saw a 25 per cent increase in punters on the previous festival. Photo / John Stone

The humble fritter is proving itself a key player in Whangarei's events calendar.

The third Whangarei Fritter Festival in March experienced an attendance boom 25 per cent up from 2014, according to a report about the event set to be presented to Whangarei District Council on Wednesday.

Venues and Events Whangarei manager John Lynch said 5000 people attended this year's March 28 event, which featured headline act Dave Dobbyn along with reggae band 1814 and Tahuna Breaks. Local bands included Tempist Fujit, JPG, Co-Lab, Legacy, Two Kay and Taylah Barker.

The Fritter Festival injected more than $1 million into the local economy, with the average attendee spending $185 in the district.

Most people attending the event were from Whangarei (77.1 per cent) with 8.5 per cent travelling from Auckland and 6.5 per cent from the Far North. More people stayed with family and friends (80 per cent) as opposed to in paid accommodation compared to previous years.

Mr Lynch said of the visitors attending the festival, 46 per cent stayed one or more nights in Whangarei.

"[This] perhaps highlights the need to have other engagement around the festival to keep people in town longer," he said.

The giant waterslide constructed on the north embankment by local business Wet n Wild Slides every year is a point of difference at the festival and was once again a huge hit being used all day.

Mr Lynch said the philosophy of the day was having all local Northland vendors, with 18 cafes and restaurants, 10 vineyards, two arts and crafts stalls and three additional service bars.

Feedback from the event comprised "overwhelming support and congratulations" with 95 per cent of the feedback posted on Facebook being positive, Mr Lynch said.

Each year council contracts three headline New Zealand acts and completes the line-up with local talent.

Fritter Festival

Who would you like to see play Fritter Festival next year?

Have you got a favourite Kiwi act you'd love to see at Fritter, or should organisers try to get an overseas act?

Email suggestions to reporters@northernadvocate.co.nz