Ōpōtiki Matariki festival is a finalist in national awards

Ōpōtiki District Council’s isite & Events team have just wrapped up a busy calendar of Matariki events for this year and were thrilled with the recent announcement that last year’s Matariki festival was a finalist in the New Zealand Events Association (NZEA) Event Awards.

The annual awards celebrate the innovation, creativity, and resilience of New Zealand's event industry with 69 finalists across 17 categories. The list of finalists puts the local Matariki celebrations alongside some of the big names in Aotearoa events such as Warbirds over Wanaka, FIFA World Cup, charity balls, music festivals and other incredible events.

Iranui Huriwai, Council’s Experience and Engagement Coordinator, said that the Ōpōtiki Matariki Festival 2023 event was a finalist in two categories: Best Arts, Cultural & Heritage Event, and Best Community or Not For Profit Event (Under 3000 Attendees).

“We’re really proud to see our district acknowledged as a finalist in these categories. What we do at Matariki is such a unique approach and really makes Opotiki stand apart I think. It is all about community groups and individuals bringing their own ideas to life. They offer their time and expertise for the community to celebrate Matariki. The isite team and a few amazing helpers run a couple of the big events and play more of a coordination and support role.

“So this is an acknowledgment not of just our team but of a huge number of people and groups in our community. It really reflects our whakatauki - Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini. - Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many,” Ms Huriwai said.

Some of the organisations who helped run these events in 2023 are Kura Ki Tai Waka Ama Club, Hukutaia Domain Care Group, Terere Marae Committee, Sport BOP, Te Tāhuhu o te Rangi, Wairoa District Council, Ōpōtiki De Luxe Theatre, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, Crossroads Gastropub, LJ Dobbin, Ōpōtiki Golf Club.

“Our events team has been marking Matariki for the last six years, and it has been exciting to see it grow and mature with the public holiday and with wider understanding of the Maramataka. We look forward to it continuing to blossom into the future,” Ms Huriwai said.

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