It's festival season time again

BY REBECCA THOMSON - THE WELLINGTONIAN

Wellington's festival season is upon us.

During the next five weeks, Newtown, Island Bay and Mt Victoria are all hosting community festivals.

The Island Bay Festival, on February 13 and 14, is in its 26th year and will feature food and clothes stalls, fair rides and a parade. Local musicians will perform at the Day in the Bay concert.

Jessica Latton, one of the festival's co-ordinators, said the festival was becoming more popular each year.

"It's a chance to celebrate the area you live in and be part of that community," she said. "It's the nice thing about Wellington, there are all these little communities."

The Mt Victoria Inner City Festival is at the end of the month. The February 27 festival will focus on sustainability and global warming.

There will be workshops about sustainability, organic food and coffee, walks, art displays and local entertainment.

The Newtown Festival on March 7 is one of the city's biggest. Last year about 70,000 people flocked to it.

Riddiford, Constable, Emmet and Green streets will be closed to traffic, and organisers expect there to be more than 300 food, clothing and bric-a-brac stalls. Local bands will perform throughout the weekend.

Organiser Duncan Stone said the festival was a great family event.

"It's nice to make it a family affair. That's exactly what the Newtown Festival is about," he said. "Even the kids get busy busking for coins so they can buy candyfloss."