Whanganui free community block party

Description

Join us on Guyton and St Hill streets for a free community block party on Saturday 18 May with awesome live music, yum kai and heaps of fun activities for kids!
The Streets for People Block Party celebrates the brand new streetscape on Guyton Street, the new public transport hub on St Hill Street - and the completion of the Transport Choices project to improve bus shelter facilities across Whanganui.
The party will feature two different event spaces, as detailed below.

Public Transport Hub Celebration - 10am-1pm (St Hill Street)
The 'Public Transport Hub Celebration' on St Hill Street (next to the Trafalgar Square carpark) will feature live music with a pop-up baby grand piano on site and local musicians including Hot Potato, Brass Whanganui and local UCOL music students providing a morning serenade.
Along with the music, there’ll also be free face painting for kids, a sausage sizzle raising money for the Whanganui Women’s Network, and special public transport-themed giveaways.

Guyton Street Block Party – 1pm-8pm
This will see the section of Guyton Street between St Hill Street and Victoria Avenue closed to traffic, allowing for the street to be transformed into a space for the community to party and play.
The party will be centred around the new community green space, Corwen Park (next to Mischief Café), with the park acting as a dance floor and a stage truck set up behind it playing host to a range of local bands and musicians.
The line up on the stage includes veteran Castlecliff reggae band Roots Provider, talented 15 year-old country western songstress Sophie Toyne, skiffle legends Hot Potato, iconic brass ensemble Damn Raucous Brass, newly-formed blues band BB and the Bullets, and emerging soul funk outfit Ngati Stank.
Along with the live music, DJ Shady Lady will be dropping eclectic beats between bands, and the much-loved Taikura o te Awa Kapa Haka group will be giving a special performance too.
To ensure the punters don’t go hungry, there’ll be a range of kai trucks – alongside the cafés on Guyton Street itself who’ll be opening late and providing special menus for the day.
The Block Party will also have a strong focus on fun for rangatahi with a special kids’ play zone featuring bubble blowing, puppetry, face painting and traditional Māori games.
This event is 90% funded by NZTA Waka Kotahi, through the Streets for People and Transport Choices programme.

BB and The Bullets will be playing some blues style at the Guyton Street Block Party. Onstage 1.45pm - 2.30. Come and celebrate with us!!