Mud festival part of big 2017 events line-up

OPPORTUNITIES: Many Rotorua events which have previously been a hit will be back again for 2017. PHOTO/FILE

Rotorua's inaugural mud festival looks set to be one of the highlights of an action-packed events calendar for the city in 2017, with locals and visitors spoilt for choice.

Destination Rotorua consumer marketing manager Tom Worsp said as the perceptions of Rotorua continued to improve and visitor numbers grew, so too did the number and quality of events being hosted and created in the city.

"Because of this Rotorua's lineup of events is stronger than ever in 2017."

Mr Worsp said events were great for the region because not only did they bring in a large number of visitors, they helped to promote some of the things which made Rotorua great.

"The recent announcement of a 10-year contract extension with Crankworx International ensures that we will remain New Zealand's home for mountain biking into the foreseeable future and this year will also see the inaugural Rotorua Mud Festival, which will promote the geothermal properties of the region and the fantastic spa culture here in Rotorua.

"Whether you're into the arts, sports or even fashion, Rotorua has an event for you in 2017."

Rotorua's first mud festival will bein early December and will include a mud-arena, spa and wellness experiences as well as education and historical story-telling.

Crankworx is a major event for the city, with the event being the Southern Hemisphere's largest mountain biking festival, which injected an estimated $8 million into the Rotorua economy last year.

The annual Rotorua Bike Festival which sees people of all ages coming together on their bikes is expected to be a massive hit next month, with organisers expecting a turnout of at least 8000 people.

Last year's festival had about 6500 participants.

This year's bike festival will feature 12 new events, with 25 in total.

Festival director Megan Dimozantos recently told the Rotorua Daily Post there would be something for everyone, even spectators.

"For the biking enthusiasts, there are some fantastic competitive events, and for the first-timers, or the cruisier riders, there are some great options for them too."

This year will also see the 23rd year of the Rotorua Walking Festival, a two-day recreational walking event, where walkers can do either day or both days.

Distances on day one are 10, 21 or 42km in the Whakarewarewa Forest and day 2 distances are 10, 20 or 30km around the geothermal, stream, parks and reserve areas of Rotorua.

Last year walkers attended from places such as Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands and other Northern Hemisphere countries.

Another popular event is the Rotorua Marathon, which will be back for its 53rd year.

Race director Murray Fleming said last year it drew 1500 competitors for the full marathon, another 1100 for the half and about 900 for the quarter and 5.5km.

At the end of this month the region's best seafood delicacies and local talent will be on show as the Rotorua Summer Seafood Festival returns for a second year.

More than 1000 tickets were sold for the inaugural event last and event manager, Tia Smith said she was expecting at least double that for the second festival which will be headlined by Kiwi music legend Dave Dobbyn.

Speaking of music, the ever-popular Lakeside free concerts returns in March while Harcourts Dancing with Rotorua Stars will also be back this year to fundraise for Rotorua Community Hospice.

Last year's event raised $107,000 for the cause and saw Rotorua community members take to the stage to perform dances after 18 weeks of practice.

Some of Rotorua's 2017 events:
Rotorua Summer Seafood Festival: Sunday January 29, Soundshell and Village Green
Rotorua Bike Festival: February 10 to 19, various Rotorua locations
Lakeside Rotorua: March 11, Lakefront
Rotorua Walking Festival: March 18 and March 19, Netherlands Society Hall, Neil Hunt Park
Crankworx: March 25 to April 2, various Rotorua locations
53rd Rotorua Marathon: May 6, Energy Events Centre
Harcourts Dancing with Rotorua Stars: August 6, Energy Events Centre
Rotorua Mud Festival: December 1 to December 3, outside the Energy Events Centre