The Pak'nSave Pancake Breakfast will be held at the Great Lake Centre hall on Sunday, July 18. Photo / Jeremy Bright Photographer
The Pak'nSave Pancake Breakfast will be held at the Great Lake Centre hall on Sunday, July 18. Photo / Jeremy Bright Photographer
You've got to love pancakes followed by a circus.
Sunday morning cooks can hang up their apron the middle Sunday of the July school holidays and send their family instead to the Pak'nSave Pancake Breakfast followed by A Chaotic Cargo Ship Circus.
It's the sixth year the community pancake breakfast will be running, as part of Malcolm Flowers Insurances Taupō Winter Festival.
Event director Nicola Carter says the legendary breakfast on Sunday, July 18 is free to attend but tickets are limited to 1500. Tickets are given out during the week of the festival, and also come free for those attending children's circus event A Chaotic Cargo Ship Circus.
She says the Pak'nSave Pancake Breakfast is the biggest and most delicious community breakfast anyone will ever experience. Timed to be nice and early for children of all ages, the breakfast starts at 9am and goes to 11am and is held in the Great Lake Centre hall.
Nicola says the pancake breakfast is a fun event to do before the children's circus event, A Chaotic Cargo Ship Cruise, starting at 11am and held at the Great Lake Centre theatre. Zane Jarvie from Colossal Productions says the circus is full of pure imaginative joy for children and adults alike.
The Pak'nSave Pancake Breakfast will be held at the Great Lake Centre hall on Sunday, July 18. Photo / Jeremy Bright Photographer
The circus is set on a ship and it's "fool steam ahead" with three distracted deckhands, "some of New Zealand's youngest circus superstars", who are faced with a ship to clean, a raucous audience to entertain, and a pesky seagull. Zane says to expect daredevil stunts and incredible acrobatics.
"The show is laugh out loud funny, with a mind-blowing circus and off-the-wall comedy."
He says A Chaotic Cargo Ship Circus was created for 5 to 10-year-olds, but will be a joyous occasion for all those who are young at heart.
Zane says the circus was first performed three years ago.
"But then all the performers went overseas so it kind of got tucked in the corner."
He says the show was brought back to life due to the pandemic, and made its debut in Wellington earlier this year with a new cast who are fresh out of performing arts school. Local man Aidin Ralfe is one of the circus acrobatics, and his speciality is straps.
The cast is hosting an hour-long Kids' Circus Workshop the day before, Saturday, July 17, with tickets limited to 20 children.
Zane says kids attending the workshop will learn about acrobatics done with a partner, tumbling, and juggling with all ages and levels are welcome.
"If you are a kid and you have ever wanted to be an acrobat in a circus, well this workshop will be a taster."
The Details What: Pak'nSave Pancake Breakfast Where: Great Lake Centre hall. When: Sunday, July 18, 9am to 11am. Cost: Free, tickets given away at the festival and with A Chaotic Cargo Ship Circus
What: A Chaotic Cargo Ship Circus Where: Great Lake Centre theatre When: Sunday, July 18, 11am Cost: $14 child, $20 adults, under 5s free on a caregiver's lap.
