Editorial: It's going off in the Gardens

OPINION: If only more people would listen to the sage words of advice offered up through this daily editorial column. Imagine the fantastic place the Waikato would be ...

Certainly the organisers of the annual Hamilton Gardens Summer Arts Festival are reaping the rewards of taking our hints on board.

When the Waikato Times-sponsored event finishes tomorrow night, the woman in charge, Sarah Bettle, will be able to trumpet record crowds and be fully confident she is in charge of one of the region's best-loved and quickest growing events.

It is always difficult estimating crowd sizes when most events are non-ticketed and you are relying on people's guestimates. We can say with certainty, however, that this year's Gardens' event is a record-breaker. Ticket sales doubled this year to 8000 from 4000 and when Ms Bettle says the record of 75,000 people, set three years ago, is likely to be smashed with more than 100,000 people having been to shows, she is almost certainly correct.

It is not hard to side with her; logic says she is right. This paper has consistently called for the event's organisers to think bigger. A nice spread of shows has always attracted attention, but bigger-ticket items were needed to lift things to another level and that has finally happened. We compliment Ms Bettle and festival chairman Chris Williams for being able to see the big picture.

This year's event had two headline acts – the Topp Twins and a rock show featuring national acts Opshop, Dane Rumble and others. As well, the inaugural Waikato Times Food, Wine and Jazz Festival was held in the rose gardens last weekend and 6000 people joined an event that could not be more complementary to the arts festival. Add the numbers at those shows to massive growth elsewhere – the opening night funk festival attracted 4000, Broadway on the Boardwalk 2500 and the Sunset Symphony possibly as many as 10,000 – and it puts attendances in other years in the shade. Naturally the weather has helped. When you are running any event outdoors, so much depends on the conditions and we have been blessed over the past fortnight to have the weather gods well and truly smile.

Another first for the festival is the contribution from Creative NZ. Its $10,000 is peanuts, but will surely grow to the $80,000 comparable events around the country, like the Queenstown and Wanaka arts festival, get. It is intriguing the Hamilton City Council-backed festival can get Creative NZ funding yet individual sectors of the arts in town are still blanked. Some searching questions could be asked there.

But that should not detract from what is turning into one of the most special fortnights on the Waikato calendar. The Gardens are one of the city's best assets and finally they are being showcased more widely than ever. If you didn't take the chance to get down there and see for yourself, you are the poorer for it.

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