Tauranga City Council supports 12 great community events through its Community Events Fund, adding to the city’s exciting events calendar.
The successful community events are varied with a strong focus on location and seasonality. Most are free or low cost and between them will receive a total of $60,000.
Events funded include Our Place, the activation of the demolished Council administration building space; the new Tye Park Fireworks in Welcome Bay and Hunt for Gold in Papamoa.
Mayor Greg Brownless said the funded events invite a wide range of the community to celebrate Tauranga’s diversity and to make the most of the city’s places and spaces.
“Community events play an important role in bringing our people together to celebrate the city, while showcasing everything Tauranga has to offer all year round,” Mr Brownless said.
“With 10,000 people braving the cold at the Tauranga waterfront, the recent success of Winter Nights | Winter Lights shows that our community loves to celebrate in the city all year round.
“The wide range of funding applications reflects the passion and motivation of our events community to create inclusive, welcoming events for everyone and especially for our younger residents.”
The 2017/18 Community Event Fund encouraged events which occur from July to October 2017 and April to June 2018 to keep the city humming in the off peak season.
The selection panel chose to provide funding towards the following community events:
- Our Place – The activation taking place once the Council administration building is demolished aims to create a space that acknowledges history while looking to the future by creating a safe, vibrant and energetic city heart. ($3,000)
- Tauranga Coffee Festival – Tauranga’s inaugural Coffee Festival is an eclectic mix of coffee, food and music and is one of the most exciting new festivals at the CBD waterfront. ($5,000)
- Tauranga Christmas in the Park – The event has become one of the key pre-Christmas highlights for the wider Bay of Plenty community and supports local charities, businesses and artists. ($8,000)
- Hunt for Gold – Papamoa’s free family adventure race sends teams around iconic locations to complete several tasks. ($3,000)
- Pedal Papamoa – With a biking adventure for the whole family, Pedal Papamoa promotes healthy living by getting out and about for a ride on the bike-friendly Papamoa storm water trail. ($6,000)
- Cherry Blossom Festival – The event provides a fun filled atmosphere with entertainment for the whole community, various school performances and a street car show under the flowering Greerton Village cherry trees. ($3,000)
- Trustpower Christmas Parade – Cultural groups, kindergartens, marching groups, bands, vintage car enthusiasts and many more come together to play their part in Tauranga’s central city Christmas parade. ($5,000)
- Little Yoga Festival – With a wide range of arts and wellness workshops, talks, music and food, this festival is made for the whole family. ($3,000)
- 100% Winter Night Owl Cinema – Tauranga Youth Development Team and Night Owl Cinema have teamed up to create winter events especially for youth featuring movies, activations and more. ($3,000)
- A Night Before Christmas – Tauranga’s longest running, free outdoor Christmas event is now also one of the largest in the country and will keep traditions and nostalgia of Christmas alive. ($8,000)
- Tye Park Fireworks – The new event provides an enjoyable and spectacular family-friendly atmosphere in the Welcome Bay community. ($10,000)
- Mount Maunganui Beach Volleyball Open – The one out of four National Beach Volleyball Tour events will see the best teams from New Zealand compete, including a Commonwealth Games selection component. ($3,000)
The next round for the Community Events Fund will reopen in April 2018.