Everyone is invited to La Fiesta

We had a rollicking ride for the first week of La Fiesta number 12.

With our old 'friend' Covid-19 back in the picture at the beginning of last week, we made a few adjustments to our festival events with a small number being postponed due to the restrictions on numbers and space under alert Level 2.

However, like all good things in life, we had a contingency plan in place to prepare for this so we had a reasonably smooth transition thanks to the understanding of our festival partners and the co-operation of our participants.

Nevertheless, we were all pretty excited to bump back down to alert Level 1, so let's all keep up with the signing in, using the Covid Tracer app, as well as all the good hand washing and hygiene messages that we've all become so familiar with.

With three weeks of the festival still to run there is plenty on offer. This week I thought I'd focus on some of the movement-based events in the programme and a couple of really interesting talks you're all invited to:

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25
1-2pm: Self Protection, Whanganui Boys + Girls Gym Club, Springvale Park. Free. Contact Shani shani.hecht@gmail.com Learn some practical tips to keep yourself and others safe.
5.30pm: Public + Private Politics – Three Whanganui Women, Davis Theatre, Watt St. Koha. Ph 349 1110. Museum senior curator Libby Sharpe and Whanganui District Council heritage adviser Scott Flutey team up to talk about politically active and influential Whanganui women. Determined to create change at a political level, Margaret Bullock, Ellen Stewart and Jessie Williamson all had homes and families too. What was home like and how did they manage to pack so much in?

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28
3pm: An Afternoon with Artist Margaret Tolland, Lockett Gallery, 62 Guyton St. Free + light refreshments. Contact Celia 348 9095 or hello@lockettgallery.com. Margaret Tolland will share some experiences as a children's book illustrator and mural artist who captures the richness of flora and fauna in her lush illustrations from a conservationist viewpoint.

MONDAY, MARCH 1
7-8pm: Women's Restore + Care, 75 St Hill St. $12. Contact Emma 021 103 3394 or embarkyoga@gmail.com. Restoring awareness, strength and flexibility through gentle yoga. Bookings essential.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3
1-2pm: Taekwondo Taster, Iron Alley, 78 Wilson St. Free. Contact Shani shani.hecht@gmail.com. Give Taekwondo a go with Shani, former international fighter and coach.
1.30pm-2.30pm, 5-6pm, 8-9pm: Badminton Basics, Springvale Stadium Extension, 224 London St. Free. Contact Graham gfeist@xtra.co.nz. The team from Badminton Whanganui are providing space and equipment for women and girls to have fun and give badminton a try. The timings are varied to help make it more accessible.
3.30-5pm: Falun Dafa, 75 St Hill St. Free. Contact Diana 022 123 6336 or whanganuilotus@gmail.com. An introduction to Falun Dafa, a traditional self-cultivation practice to improve mind and body, followed by Q + A and meditation teaching.

Check in with what's happening right through until Saturday, March 13, and download yourself a full Festival Guide to see all the activities and events on offer at: https://lafiestanz.com/