Summer events ready to start

MARION VAN DIJK

Producer of the Summer in Nelson programme Charlie Unwin and Nelson City Council festival director Sophie Kelly browse through one of the Summer in Nelson rogrammes to be distributed around Nelson this week

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Summer in Nelson events kick off with the Lantern Celebration next week and finish with Opera in the Park in February.

Both events did not go ahead last year -  The Lantern Celebration cancelled when flooding washed out tracks at the Centre of New Zealand, and the Opera in the Park lost sponsorship leading to the city council deciding it would become a two-yearly event.

The council has now released the summer events programme in a colourful booklet for residents and visitors.

The first event, the Lantern Celebration, will be on December 15. 

On that date last year Nelson was flooded but programme producer Charlie Unwin confidently predicted: ''That won't happen this year - we've made arrangements.''

A highlight of the programme will be the New Year's Eve celebrations,

Trafalgar Square Countdown, which was targeted for all ages, said the programme director Sophie Kelly.

Entertainment at the top of Trafalgar St will include the Salmonella DJ Soundsystem, an offshoot of Salmonella Dub, and popular local band Mojo Funk, as well as street performers.

This summer the teddy bears picnics, including the Nelson Mail Teddy Bears Picnic at Isel Park in Stoke, will move to an earlier time so it will not be too hot for children.

Summer Movies Al Fresco around the region will feature six old films: The Secret Garden, Gaslight, High Society, Jailhouse Rock, the Ladykillers and Charlie Chaplin's The Circus.

Buskerburgoo buskers and street entertainers will be back in February and two evening shows will this time be at Fairfield Park instead of the top of Trafalgar St so they don't affect the Adams Chamber Music Festival concert at the Cathedral.

Opera in the Park will be held on February 16 at Trafalgar Park.
The Ladykillers - Tina Cross, Suzanne Lynch and Jackie Clark - will start the evening's entertainment.

Soprano Madeleine Pierard and her sister, mezzo-soprano Anna Pierard will sing with Orchestra Wellington, along with Don McGlashen and Julia Deans.

Mrs Kelly said: ''The council through its long term plan process recognised the value of holding a large scale event targeted at the whole community.

''The ticket price will be kept the same as last time, at $15 for adults and $5 for children and will keep it as a family picnic event.''

The event would cost $220,000 with some costs recouped through ticket sales, she said.

Paint company BioPaints had been the principal sponsor of Opera in the Park but managing director Tony Mount who also ran Independent Financial Consultants is before the court facing more than 500 fraud charges.

The Summer in Nelson programme booklets is available from the council office, libraries and shops in Nelson and Tasman, and online at nelsonfestivals.co.nz from today ntsG dec 6 nte.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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