The popular Otematata concert and family entertainment on New Year's day has been cancelled, but organisers are already starting planning for the 2012 event to make it bigger and better.
Organised by the Otematata Sports Club, it has been running for about 15 years, attracting families on holiday to an evening's entertainment between 6pm and 9pm on the park next to State Highway 83.
This year it switched to a stand of pines on Kowhai Pl, and was renamed Music in the Pines.
However, earlier this month the main band cancelled its booking and club secretary Vicky Munro said yesterday that had left no time to organise an affordable replacement.
"It is disappointing to have to cancel the event, because it had become very popular with families, who could spend a day on the lake and then come to what was a low-key, casual and low-cost event," Mrs Munro said.
During the years it has run, it has had to be cancelled "a couple of times" before.
