Flavours of the world at Kai Festival

COLIN SMITH

KAI TIME: Mere Wetere and her daughter Emma Barnes-Wetere , 5, with a Kai Combo of mussel and watercress and kumara and watercress, at last year's Kai Festival

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Another tasty event will mark Waitangi Day in Nelson.

Traditional food from all over the world will be served up at Founders Heritage Park in Nelson this Saturday during the second annual Waitangi Day International Kai Festival.

The festival was held for the first time last year and was highly successful, attracting 6000 people.

The event is a collaboration between Whakatu Marae and Nelson City Council-owned Founders, and is designed to celebrate Waitangi Day.

To complement rich cultural performances, a variety of international foods made by Nelson families who have a love for their traditional tucker will be on offer to the public.

This year's Kai Festival will feature 70 stalls selling food, art and crafts. The cuisine will come from a variety of countries and regions, including France, Argentina, the Netherlands, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, Ireland and New Zealand. Small portions will be priced at $2.50, or $5 for a bigger serving, to encourage visitors to try a wide range of dishes.

"Waitangi Day is a great opportunity to strengthen relationships between the marae and the city council, while delivering a positive community experience," says Carol Hippolite, of Whakatu Marae.

She says there has been so much demand from people wanting to take part that organisers have increased the number of stalls.

"We have been lucky that we have the space to do that – it's been overwhelming.

"It's about getting a taste of a variety of different cultures and meeting and greeting people. It's about families and building relationships with the community."

She says it would be fantastic if last year's numbers were reached again this weekend.

Founders Heritage Park facility manager Maria Anderson says the festival provides a snapshot of what Nelson is all about.

"Celebrating Maori cultural values and the diversity of Nelson's population is all part of being a fun, welcoming city that values its past and its present."

The festival will run from 10.30am to 4.30pm and will feature two powhiri, at 10.30am and 1pm. Cultural performances will be on two stages, and there will also be traditional massage.

• Entry is by gold coin donation. The council has organised free buses to and from the event, from all the main stops between Stoke and Founders between 10am and 4pm.

- © Fairfax NZ News