If you fancy music, competition and your Scottish heritage, it would be remiss of you not to attend the Otago-Southland Pipe Band competition in the Octagon starting today.
Set to attract hundreds, the entertainment starts at midday with the Octagonal Day Contest featuring a street march, set and medley.
The formal, judged competition, starts in the Octagon from 9am tomorrow.
Royal New Zealand Pipe Band Association Otago Centre president Brian Coutts encouraged people to get along.
"It's a Scottish celebration and it's free,'' Mr Coutts said.
"It's the biggest [event] in the South Island this season.''
Eight teams from across the region would compete and create a wonderful atmosphere, Mr Coutts said.
"That's exactly why we do it in the Octagon [for the atmosphere].
"The whole event is time-scheduled so we try to keep it flowing as much as we can,'' he said.
A highlight of both days would be a mass street march at the conclusion of each day, where all competitors marched and played together.
Two cruise ships scheduled would add to the occasion, Mr Coutts said.
"The passengers off the cruise ships always love getting their photo taken with a person in a kilt.''
Tomorrow's competition would be a lead-up to the national pipe band championships in Feilding on March 11-12, he said.
Mr Coutts said the number of bands expected was down from 16 last year, due to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Wellington, but that would not take away from the event.
Top-level judges were being brought to the city from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to assist local judges.
Events
Otago/Southland Pipe Band schedule. -
Today
• Street marches, from 12pm
• Sets, from 1.30pm
• Medleys, from 2.45pm
• Mass street march, 4.30pm
Tomorrow (competition day)
• Street marches, from 9am
• Sets, from 10.30am
• Medleys, from 1pm
• Mass street march and trophy presentation, from 3pm
