Our keynote event, the Sparkle Parade, is coming up at 5pm this Saturday. Gather at The Oval, off Hudson Bay Road, for a fun parade down to Catalina Bay. There’ll be drinks, food and entertainment, with street performers, a glow circus play zone, prizes and music. Enjoy hot drinks at the Oval and down by the wharf.

The long-range forecast looks good so it’ll be a cracker way to spark up your Saturday evening.

Here’s a quick video that gives you all the details re what, where and when:

https://vimeo.com/343797027

That’s not all, of course. There are two 3pm workshops that day at the Catalina Farmers Market. You can get tips on how to LED-decorate yourself or whatever item you want to jazz up for the evening. You can also learn to make a lovely authentic keepsake for this time of year. It’s Matariki right now, of course, so what better than a hand-woven whetu, or star, to take home. See more here.

BEFORE THE WEEKEND on Wednesday evening, 6pm, you can get closer to real stars at our astronomy evening at Hobsonville Point Primary School – with grunty telescopes that might give you a peek at planets Saturn and Jupiter. Winterfest is made possible by many residents who are pitching in to help as volunteers for this HPRS initiative and by businesses such as our local House of Travel, and Ryman Healthcare, both of which are offering prizes for the best- dressed Sparkle Parade walkers. We are also grateful to HLC, Little Creatures, Kittyhawk, Fabric, Catalina Bay, Hobsonville Community Trust and Zumba with Fleur.

Huge thanks to everyone for the fun times to come this week – and next week too, with a Matariki-themed Wriggle and Rhyme for littlies on Tuesday morning, and a light-hearted, memoir writing session for grownups on Wednesday morning. NB On Saturday, Hobsonville Point Road will be open as usual, but Hudson Bay Road, our parade route, will be closed between 5-6pm for safety reasons. If you’re not sure where to go, see the video or head to the Sparkle Parade page on our site. Or check out the Winterfest on the Point page on Facebook.

With the brightest of best wishes,
HPRS Committee