Sunday Market offers Kai Fest full support

The Motueka Kai Fest event coordinator, Terri Everett (left) and team manager Petra Stephenson study layout plans for stalls and activities in Decks Reserve.

September 24th, 2016
[by David Armstrong]

The new harvest celebration event, Motueka Kai Fest, will be even bigger thanks to the Sunday Market operators offering their full support.

The Kai Fest, which will run on Sunday, April 9th next year, will centre on Decks Reserve, with the popular Sunday Market adjusting its time and positioning so that the two events work well together.

When learning of the plans for the inaugural Kai Fest event, Sunday Market organiser Judy Roper was enthusiastic about each event benefiting from the other.

"Given the high-energy profile the Kai Fest is generating, the Motueka Sunday Market just couldn't miss the opportunity to join up," she says.

"It will be the most amazing day for Motueka and definitely a win-win situation for all stallholders." She has spoken with the market stall holders and they agree that it will be of benefit to them being on site to complement the festivities.

Prior to this agreement, the team planning the Kai Fest had felt it necessary to run the festival only in the afternoon, so as not to interfere with the normal Sunday Market.

With the agreement to work together, that means the festivities can begin in the second half of the morning, allow for lunch, and continue into the early afternoon with a programme of activities and entertainment.

On the festival day, the markets stallholders will begin sales at 10am and if they wish continue selling through into the afternoon.

One of the biggest problems envisaged now will be parking, and the event coordinator Terri Everett is working on options to allow people to get to Decks Reserve without having to walk too far.

Terri is excited about the support of the Sunday Market. "With the event set to coincide with the Sunday Market, it's going to be real testimony to the community and commercial collaboration to celebrate together our abundant and unique kai harvest," she says.

"I'm sure this will be our signature event for years to come, not only celebrating with locals but encouraging a flurry of visitors at a time when activity often slows down."

As event planning continues over the coming half year, people interested in what will be involved can follow progress on the Facebook page, .

The planning team are continuing to look for people and businesses, especially those with commercial or community interests in local food, who can contribute to the pageantry, information stalls and games which will make up the bulk of the festival. They can contact Terri at .

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