Folk festival returns to ring in new year

Site manager Andrew Bowen and a group of volunteers pack up yesterday after another successful...
Site manager Andrew Bowen and a group of volunteers pack up yesterday after another successful Whare Flat Folk Festival. Photos: Gregor Richardson
Folk music fan Blair Anderson is no stranger to ringing in the new year at Whare Flat Folk Festival - he has now done so 16 times.

The Christchurch man was among those who flocked to Waiora Scout Camp for the four-night festival, which started on Friday and finished yesterday.

He first attended the festival in 1977, and every year there was a "world-class performance", he said.

Italian folk group Ensemble Sangineto was his favourite from this year’s line up, and their harpist was the best he had ever heard.

As festival-goers packed camping gear back into their cars yesterday, one vehicle was especially eye-catching.

Dave Scott and partner Julie Anderson camp out in their converted 1983 Mack firetruck.
Dave Scott and partner Julie Anderson camp out in their converted 1983 Mack firetruck.
Dave Scott and partner Julie Anderson spent their second year at the festival in a converted 1983 Mack firetruck.

While he had not been the one who originally made it into a campervan, he had done a lot of work on it, and had more plans for the future.

Site manager Andrew Bowen said the event had been "fantastic".

The festival had not been held for two years, and the last one had been held amid huge downpours.

This year also had its challenges - a truck carrying sound equipment tipped over at low speed near the camp while preparations were being made on Wednesday, which caused a delay of about 7 hours, although no-one was injured.

An organiser also came down with Covid-19.

Blair Anderson, of Christchurch, packs up yesterday after attending his 16th Whare Flat festival.
Blair Anderson, of Christchurch, packs up yesterday after attending his 16th Whare Flat festival.
However, this year the weather had done a "180 degree turnaround" and the stretch of warm days was a big part of why the event went so well - as was the music.

"The festival itself was just amazing - there were a lot of great artists."

Each day about 200 people had attended, slightly down on the usual amount as the event was built up again.

The event was heavily dependent on volunteers, who shared a sense of community as folk music fans, and about 60 or 70 people were helping to pack up yesterday.

Everyone was looking forward to getting together again for the next festival, he said.

fiona.ellis@odt.co.nz

 

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