Matariki Hastings - A Celebration of New Zealand

Ninth annual celebration of thanksgiving and welcome to the new year planting season. This community gathering is hosted by the Morrell and Jessup families from Flaxmere.

This is the biggest winter event in Hastings drawing thousands of people to savour the taste of a wide variety of international and local foods from French pancakes to American doughnuts and Indian samosa to Cook Island banana poke.

There's a host of Maori and New Zealand foods too including steamed mussells, pikopiko, huhu grubs, raw fish, hangi, pan fried Maori potatoes and kanga pungarehu (a boiled corn sweet delicacy).

A spectacular addition in 2010 is a Balloon Glow by seven hot air balloons representing the seven stars of Matariki. These ballons standing six stories high will light up the night in a breathtaking spectacle for all.

The region's best artists are hand picked to perform and a dramatic lantern procession leads into a spectacular fireworks display to end the night.

This event is funded by Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc, Te Puni Kokiri, Hastings District Council and Trust House.

Event listed by Te Rangi Huata

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