The Mānawatia a Matariki event at Hamilton Lake has the goal of being a zero-waste event.
The Mānawatia a Matariki event at Hamilton Lake has the goal of being a zero-waste event.
Mānawatia a Matariki - Happy Māori New Year! To celebrate the public holiday, Hamilton City Council and the Matariki Ki Waikato Festival have put on the free and family-friendly Maanawatia a Matariki event for a second year.
On Saturday, July 15, Hamilton Lake will be buzzing with performances, music, crafts and food.
Kiwi band Late 80s Mercedes has been confirmed as the headline act, with Son & Water, YAHYAH and Te Pou-o-Mangataawhiri also set to perform live on stage.
Matariki is a time of reflection and connection to the environment, so in line with this, the event organisers are asking to bring “good vibes, not plastic”.
The council has partnered with Māori zero-waste, not-for-profit organisation Para Kore Marae to help manage waste and recycling at the event.
Para Kore works throughout Aotearoa delivering its Oranga Taiao programme to marae and other organisations within the frameworks of kaupapa and tikanga Māori.
The Mānawatia a Matariki concert at the Hamilton Lake Domain stage celebrated the rising of the star cluster Matariki last Friday with a night of music, kapa haka, lights, kids' activities, food and fun. Photo / Mike Walen
Para Kore regional kaiārahi (leader) Ngakau Harris-Peke says Matariki is traditionally a time to gather, remember those who have passed, set intentions for the new year, and most importantly look and be guided by the tohu (signs) of our taiao (environment).
“We’re taking care of Papatūānuku (Earth mother) for our future generations so that she can take care of us,” Ngakau says.
To assist Para Kore at the event, the Chartwell Scouts group will be manning the recycling stations which include cardboard, cans, glass and plastics, as well as food waste and compostable packaging.
Hamilton City Council events manager Tracey Wood says although recycling stations are going to be on site, the event’s target was to be zero waste.
The Mānawatia a Matariki event also offers some activities for kids. Photo / Mike Walen
“We’re doing everything we can to eliminate waste, but we need everyone’s help. To encourage the use of reusable items, food trucks will give a discount to anyone who brings their own food containers, $1 off mains and 50 cents off coffees, and a water truck will be onsite to refill water bottles,” Wood says.
People are also invited to bring their own food along to the event.
The event organisers are also encouraging car-free transport options: There will be a bike valet service offering secure storage for people who choose to cycle to the event.
Event-goers of any kind will be in for an evening of live music, entertainment, waiata and haka performances, taraka kai (food trucks) and free activities for tamariki (children) including light displays, star-making and taa moko (face painting).
For the first time, the Matariki ki Waikato markets will also be joining the event, offering a range of hand-made Māori goods. The collective of local businesses exhibiting at the market has also implemented a plastic-free policy on bags for all stall holders.
There are also a number of other community events across the Waikato that celebrate Matariki.
One of them is Ngaa Paki o Matariki at Hamilton’s Claudelands Event Centre where 40 orators and 14 kapa haka teams are performing on stage on Thursday and Friday. There are also exhibitions of toi Māori and a hub of market stalls. Tickets are available online.
In Cambridge, the Matariki ki Te Oko Horoi community event on July 14 will include the concert Pīpī Paopao by children’s singer and storyteller Rutene Spooner, a kapa haka performance by Ngaa Manu Korokii and an open mic night with Ricky Winikerei.
Kihikihi will also host a Mānawatia a Matariki event on July 15 with tree planting, arts and weaving for tamariki, as well as kai, kapa haka, performances and markets.
