Grey Lynn Park Festival this Saturday

Auckland's annual Grey Lynn festival is on this week, in an event which is the first indicator that summer is here.

This year there will be plenty of bands, stalls, art and sun (hopefully).

Programme

PROGRAMME for 2007

Manuka Stage - MC: Lei - D - Lee
9.30 Chris Mason-Battley Group
10.40 Lei - D - Lee Band
11.45 Easy
12.45 Grand Central Band
2pm The Managers
3pm The Hot Grits
4pm The Jews Brothers Band
5pm Tigi Ness with Unity Pacific

Nikau Stage
with thanks to Mainz sound crew
9.30 Mojave
10.30 Tanya Remana
11am The Alibis noon Gahu
1.10 Mamaku Project
2.15 Lojac
3.15 Mainz bands
4.30 Hangman
5.30 Phil Toms & The Electric Car
Fiesta Stage
9.30 French Toast
10.45 Auckland Mandolinata Orchestra
11.45 Carribeanz Southern Stars Steel Band
12.45 Tamani Drum & Dance
2pm Cassidy
3pm Ak Samba
4pm Mhara Marimbas
5pm Frank E. Evans Band

The Festival aims to support community groups working together, helping each other with fundraising, profiling and skills development. Long term supporters of the event dedicate their time and energy to the community with integrity and passion. The Festival provides a unique and positive example of community in action.

The Trust Board is financing four stages and with the Music and Markets drawing in the crowds there is always something for everyone. For the children we've got a fabulous field of fun fair rides at $2, a gypsy village, badge making, bag printing. John Aitken on the history of woodworking tools. View him in action on a handmade lathe. Meet up with those who prefer the mobile home life to the city pad in our Housetruckers village. Supporting their families with their mobile businesses you can see a blacksmith working or thrill to Matt’s Whip show. Give your kids a ride on Larry & Rosie’s funfair all built in NZ by them and their kids. A Machine Park will bring the lovers of steam engines a treat and a yarn. Look out for the Rooster Man.

Shopping in the market stalls is a full on experience at the most eclectic shopping experience in New Zealand. With over 300 stalls not only will you enjoy the experience, but if you don’t get all your Christmas shopping in early then you will regret it. The festival is eftpos free, so don’t go home disappointed make sure you are cashed up for the day.

Original clothing from a variety of established NZ designers will be on sale. Hand made sandles and shoes of lasting quality and comfort from Bo Jandles are a rare find. Gordon, a veteran of NZ & British nuclear testing at Christmas Island travels with his wife and grandchildren selling kids toys and fancies through the summer months and is a veteran stallholder at the Festival. Poppy the Clown and his wife bring fairy wonder and a bit of kids fun on their stall. Munch your way round the world with treats from our unique food stalls. Hans from Aloha Shave Ice helps organise the festival and sells his yummy for the tummy shave ice, always a favourite with young and old.

Many of the stallholders love the Grey Lynn Park Festival for the chance it gives them to bring their products and their passions to the public. Community groups and clubs get the chance to do some fundraising and profile themselves. With the capture of many city events by commercial interests and sole right sponsorships, the Festival provides inclusive grass roots support for individual entrepreneurs and artists that has been eroded from many other public events.

We call for the public to support our small organisation by helping out with the costs of putting on the event by buying a programme for $1 or $2 from our official collectors. Not leaving us too much rubbish to pay for in the cleaning up costs. Not causing us grief with alcohol fuelled behaviours. Watch out for your cars, with a 100,000 people expected you may want to catch public transport or carpool, bring the sunscreen and get ready for an awesome day.

The festival runs from 9.30am till 5.30pm