Tomorrow, the sixth Hawke's Bay Arts Festival kicks off. The programme features circus, opera, burlesque, theatre, arts trails, comedy and much, much more. This year's festival is 100 per cent homegrown of course, and it is a treat.
There are readers and writers (including Witi Ihimaera and Annabel Langbein), Ria Hall, ATC's Black Lover, country music singer Tami Neilson, Bic Runga and Dunedin band Soaked Oats. The festival is being held at venues across Napier and Hastings.
Where to eat in Napier
If you're waking up in Napier, head to Ajuna Cafe for breakfast. Just a street back from the beach and close to everything, Ajuna serves breakfast and brunch classics in a lovely corner site with great people-watching opportunities.
At Napier's Central Fire Station Bistro, diners can sit in an historic building while they dine on an ever-evolving menu of simplicity, done well. Owned by a husband-and-wife team from New Zealand and Argentina, the bistro serves European food with local produce, and of course the best of the independent wine producers from the Hawke's Bay region.
In Hastings, the Hawke's Bay weekend farmers' market at Waikoko Gardens at the A&P Showgrounds is a must. This is one of the oldest farmers' markets in the country and you'll find buskers, producers and families shopping on any given Sunday.
Just outside Hastings you'll find Rush Munro, the legendary ice creamery. They've been making icecream here since 1926, and serving among the walled rose gardens and fish ponds behind the storefront.