Landscaping, greenery, seating, speed bumps and a park are some of the instalments along Guyton St, with a new public transport hub being finished on St Hill St. The hub features street furniture made from recycled timber, bike racks and planter boxes.
Whanganui District Council has planned a full day of celebrations on Saturday, May 18, kicking off with an event from 10am to 1pm at the transport hub featuring live music from Hot Potato, Brass Whanganui and UCOL music students, a pop-up baby grand piano, a sausage sizzle and Bee Card giveaways.
The block party is on Guyton St between Victoria Ave and St Hill St from 1pm to 8pm, with the street closed to vehicles.
Music will be provided by Whanganui acts Roots Provider, Sophie Toyne, Damn Raucous Brass, BB and the Bullets, and Ngāti Stank, with Corwen Park next to Mischief Cafe to be used as a dance floor for the day.
Council property and open spaces general manager Sarah O’Hagan said the combined budget for the events was $25,000 – “a small fraction of the overall project budget”.
Contractors working on the Guyton St section of Streets for people. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui’s Streets for People projects have an overall budget of $1.27 million, 90 per cent of which is covered by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
“That [$25,000] is spread across the 15 local artists, bands/musicians, performers and community groups providing entertainment on the day – as well as the range of local businesses providing tech and logistical support,” O’Hagan said.
Food trucks will operate on Guyton St during the block party and cafes and eateries along the street will be open later than usual with special menus.
O’Hagan said for a relatively modest budget, the council had been able to put together a quality free event “that will bring a lot of joy to our community”.
“We see the events as a way to thank the local community for their help in co-designing these new spaces, while also supporting Whanganui’s creative community and helping stimulate the town centre economy,” she said.
The block party will also feature a play zone for children, with bubble blowing, puppetry, face painting and traditional Māori games.
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said it was brilliant that Whanganui had a chance to come together to celebrate.
“In tough times, it’s important to provide the community with opportunities to come together and have some fun,” he said.
“As well as promoting community wellbeing, events like this are also a chance to shine a light on our incredible local artists and musicians.”
The official completion date for the Streets for People works is May 31.
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
