Festival hits a high note

BOOGIE WOOGIE: (From left) Nigel Masters, Mike Pullman and Jan Preston playing boogie and ragtime piano music to the crowd at Tirohana Estate Vineyard in Martinborough on Sunday. PHOTO/PHILIP MERRY

The Kokomai creative festival is shaping up to become an iconic event if ticket sales and feedback are anything to go by.

And people in the provinces are itching for more cultural and creative events, says Heidi Holbrook, Kokomai's artistic director.

The 10-day festival went off with a bang with many sold-out events over the weekend, such as the Party with the Aunties play at Pirinoa and Whareama.

"Sunday was really special, there was such an outstanding turnout."

Mrs Holbrook said the crowd at Pirinoa were pleased that the show came all the way to the small, remote village in South Wairarapa.

"People are keen to see us bring something back again," she said. "I think this is because a lot of people don't necessarily go out of Pirinoa."

Mrs Holbrook said people were flocking to see photographer Marcus Adams' outdoor exhibition in the Martinborough town square on Friday, the first day of the festival.

"It was quite extraordinary, I was driving past and saw a whole lot of people looking at the images. You can't miss them when you drive past the square.

"That was fantastic to open the festival."

Award-winning play, I, George Nepia also opened on Friday in Carterton.

"From the feedback we got, I don't think we've had that level of high-end theatre here," Mrs Holbrook said.

She said she was pleased to see a huge range of people with different ages and backgrounds at the Kokomai events.

"One of our aims for the festival was to make it accessible to everyone."

Mrs Holbrook said the festival will be held every two years, at the same time of year.

"It's a very intense period where we celebrate the art. We want to lock in those dates."

There were still plenty of things to see in the festival, said Mrs Holbrook.

"Comedian Wilson Dixon has been popular at the box office, there are still some tickets left.

"We've got Pecha Kucha and the Southgate band with performers from Ireland, America and Canada. It's their first time performing together in New Zealand."

Kokomai marketing manager Jenny Gasson said the quality of the events were what most people had commented on.

"People were surprised about the quality of events."

She said Frocks on Bikes and the Royal NZ ballet show had sold out and one-woman play Nick, was close.

The festival ends on Sunday with a masked parade in Queen Elizabeth Park featuring school groups, 32 Batucada band members, jugglers and stilt walkers.

"The first thing that I said to the trust that I wanted in the festival was that it brings people together from all over Wairarapa," Mrs Holbrook said.

The parade is followed by street performer Vinyl Burns and local performances of music and dance at the Masterton Town Hall.

It's free to attend.