Su'a Fuiavailili Lawrence Ah Ching (right) a Samoan traditional tātatau artist. Photo / Gavin Ogden
Su'a Fuiavailili Lawrence Ah Ching (right) a Samoan traditional tātatau artist. Photo / Gavin Ogden
It may have been an impromptu long weekend, but there is plenty happening in the region to fill it.
Tattoos, flowers, music, and 'aggressive cuddling in pyjamas' are just some of the events.
The Toi Kiri 2022 World Indigenous Tattoo Culture Festival, put on by the Te Tuhi Māreikura Trust, began yesterday and runs until Sunday at Whareroa Marae.
Event organiser and trust chairwoman Julie Paama-Pengelly said the event was a world indigenous skin-marking festival, and would feature guests from around the world including Niue, the Cook Islands, Tahiti, Melanesia, Papua New Guinea and more.
"We share stories, we share revival, and we share techniques, and things that are really unique about those practices for indigenous people.
"It exposes the world, really, and it brings it to your doorstep."
The event will also feature performances - including from the Cook Islands youth group and the Mount Maunganui College cultural group - and indigenous fashion, healing, and food
Paama-Pengelly recommended people check the programme online to avoid missing out on events or performances.
"Even though people might be put off by the idea that it's tattooing, it's actually a family event. It's about education more than anything, and sharing."
She said the event was "something really unique" as a chance to bring artists together.
Meanwhile, the Tauranga Racecourse is hosting the Tauranga Orchid Show for the first time since Covid-19.
The show offers orchids for sale and the chance to mingle with growers.
Tauranga Orchid Society president Conrad Coenen. Photo / Talia Parker
Tauranga Orchid Society president Conrad Coenen said orchids were "probably one of the most complex plants in the world" and there were hundreds of thousands of different varieties globally.
"They are unusual, they are unique."
The society meets once a month for a hands-on discussion of orchid maintenance, and to teach new people how to care for them.
Coenen said the reaction to the show's return had been "enormous".
"It's like the races in here this morning. Everyone's keen to get out and buy things, talk about plants.
Organiser Elizabeth Pilaar said the concert would include dance - ballet, contemporary and tap.
Her son Michael, a talented musician, died from melanoma in 2017 at 19.
"We believe music and the arts are really important. They feed the soul and with all the challenges life throws at us, that's really important."
Pilaar said this year they would be releasing a CD of Michael's musical recordings from the past, which would be available to buy for a suggested koha of $15.
A Gift of Music is a concert and fundraiser for the Michael Pilaar Memorial Music Fund (Michael Pilaar pictured). Photo / supplied
"We finally had the courage to go through all the music and put the CD together.
"It's very special to share this. We've always played some of Michael's recordings over the PA system before these concerts start and people always ask if they are available, so now we can say yes."
Saturday: •Tauranga Orchid Show, 10am-4pm, Tauranga Racecourse, $3 (under-12 free). Massed display of flowering plants, plants for sale, free orchid care talks on Saturday, raffles, free parking, cash-out facility (fee applies). •Classic Jaguars on display from rare 1930s cars to new ones. From 9.30am to 3pm at Classic Flyers, Mount Maunganui. Plus book launch of Classic Jaguars in New Zealand — Grace Space Pace commemorating 100 years of Jaguars. •Altrusa Club of Rotorua presents a fabric and craft bazaar at St John Ambulance rooms on Pererika St from 9am to 4pm featuring fabric, knitting, ribbons, and more. •Heart Space Makers Market at HeART Space Studio, Whakatane. Featuring handmade art, crafts and music.
Saturday and Sunday: • Toi Kiri 2022: World Indigenous Tattoo Culture Festival at Whareroa Marae Grounds, $10 per day. Opening from 1pm Friday to 5pm Sunday featuring daily tattoo, dance and music performance as well as food vendors. • Bay of Plenty Baby Expo 2022, Trustpower Baypark Arena from 9am both days. Tickets free Online until September 18 or $5 on the door.
Sunday: • Gift of Music Concert, Western Heights High School, from 2pm to 4pm, adults $15, children $5. This concert is a fundraiser for the Michael Pilaar Memorial Music Fund.
