The Taiari Wai river festival aims to engage the Otago community with the extraordinary ecosystems of the Taiari/Taieri river. We aim to educate and inspire members of the public to care for this amazing catchment and to take a deeper interest in it.
This year, we are not only putting together a great lineup of local musicians, including legendary folk troubadours The Eastern and the Lachie Hayes band, we are also incorporating kite making into the mix. Julie Adams, Canterbury’s famous “Kite Lady,” will be in attendance to lead a kite making workshop. Tahu Mackenzie from Dunedin will also be on hand to lead our freshwater education programme. There will be other kids activities, as well as local food and drink.
Only by bringing communities together to take pride in their environment can we hope to meet the challenges that face the natural world. Music and environment-related activities are a great way to do this. This festival is all about people of the Māniatoto taking pride in their region and showing it off to the wider Otago community.
