A celebration and a tribute

BY NAOMI ARNOLD

Last updated 12:30 17/10/2009

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They packed the Church Steps, they lined the streets, they hung from second-floor windows and parked themselves at cafe tables.

Thousands of onlookers turned out to enjoy the visual and aural feast of the Port Nelson Masked Parade last night.

The parade, a curtainraiser for the Nelson Arts Festival, is now in its 15th year. The next two weeks will see 12 days of theatre, music, dance and community events.

The parade is a favourite in the region's community calendar, especially for schools and preschools, which spend weeks working on their displays, outfits and masks.

Last night a huge train of children, parents, stilt walkers, performers and musicians streamed from Montgomery Square up Bridge St, along Trafalgar St, into Hardy St and down Morrison St before returning past the Church Steps and down Church St.

A vision in sky blue, Mahana School received cheers for its Circle of Life costumes, which had taken "two or three really hard days" to create, said principal Justin Neal.

The parade was also a tribute to Nelson Arts Festival events co-ordinator Kim Merry, who passed away in August. Mr Merry was a fixture on the Nelson arts circuit and started the parade.

The effort put in by schools and the community was "an absolute credit" to Mr Merry and all the work he had put into the parade, said friend and colleague Jacquetta Bell.

"It makes you realise every year what a special community this is."

Nelson City Council festival producer Sophie Kelly said there were some "beautiful" entries that would have made Mr Merry proud.

"It was just brilliant, fantastic, there was an enormous crowd out there. It was just wonderful, a real celebration of all Kim Merry had achieved. I think it was pretty emotional for a lot of people but at the same time a real celebration of all the work he put in."

The parade was followed by the More FM Carnivale in the city centre as well as a ferris wheel, lip-synch competition, fire dancers, street stalls and other attractions, which ran until 10pm.

A new award, the Merry Makers Mask Award, was introduced this year to keep alive Mr Merry's commitment to creativity and to adults embracing the spirit of the parade, said Ms Bell. It went to long-time entrant and supporter Karl Wulff.

Mr Merry's friends, under the banner the Merry Men, won the Family Supreme Award and the award for the Best Community Band.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Winners: Preschools: Daring Diversity, Kopuawai Te Kohanga Reo; Creative Unison, joint winners, Richmond and Nelson Montessori; Interesting Interpretation, Waverley St Kindergarten.

Schools: Daring Diversity, Nelson Central; Creative Unison, Mapua School; Interesting Interpretation, Hampden St School.

Community/Business: Daring Diversity, Shin Stretcher Stilts; Creative Unison, Nelson Academy of Dance; Interesting Interpretation, Awesome Theatre.

Individual: Supreme Award, Greta Tapper; Judges Pick, Sam Slade.

Family: Supreme Award, Merry Men; Judges Pick, United Nations.

Strongest Vocal Group: Auckland Point School.

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Merry Makers Mask Award: Karl Wulf.

Parade photos are available to buy and view at The Nelson Mail's main office in Bridge St, Nelson, and at our branch offices in Richmond and Motueka.

- © Fairfax NZ News