THE CITY OF SPRING

FEATURE

It seems Christchurch really bursts into life at this time of year. Spring flowers fill our parks and front yards alike, and suddenly, the social calendars of Cantabrians get a healthy dose of events added.

The stories on the following pages define our home and traditions: the old, new, and those set to become staples of this season. We look at a defining feature of the region’s racing history, a celebration of our diverse community, and BLOOM – Ōtautahi’s festival of the spring.

ŌTAUTAHI CHRISTCHURCH IN BLOOM

Spring in Christchurch is 20 per cent nor-west winds, 20 per cent blossom whirlwinds – and the other 60 per cent? That’s the unbeatable vibe you get from the line-up of festivals, live music, sports, cultural performances, art, and fashion that make up BLOOM – Christchurch’s festival of events which is 100 per cent all about spring.

BLOOM features the city’s most iconic and well-loved events alongside some brand new ones. The 2021 line-up includes Riccarton Park and Addington Cup Weeks, the New Zealand Agricultural Show, Synthony No. 3, the South Island Moon Festival, Christchurch Big Band Festival, and many more.

As much as BLOOM is about fun and festivities, it’s also about supporting local businesses.

Loren Heaphy, ChristchurchNZ’s General Manager Destination and Attraction, says ensuring a vibrant city and strong domestic visitor economy is a vital part of the city’s response to the social and economic impacts of COVID-19, and BLOOM contributes to this.

She says that there’s no doubt the last year has been tough for businesses, even more so for those reliant on tourism or involved in the hospitality industry.

“Last year, during the BLOOM season, from September to November, there was a 99.8 per cent drop in international arrivals at Christchurch Airport compared to the same period in 2019, and with borders remaining closed, these businesses continue to be reliant on local and domestic markets to keep afloat.

“Recent alert level changes have put even more pressure on – so now is the time to really show our support. That’s why part of our focus in BLOOM is to remind people of the compelling reasons to get out and support local, to book tickets, visit restaurants and bars, and celebrate spring in our beautiful city, COVID alert levels permitting, of course,” Loren says.

The BLOOM calendar runs from September to November and only gets busier as the season warms up – with November being the ‘jewel in the BLOOM crown’ packed with events to enjoy.

Riccarton Race Week on 6, 10, and 13 November is a Canterbury social highlight featuring high-class racing, fashion, food, and entertainment across three epic days. Cup Week at Addington Raceway runs from 9 to 12 November, with an enticing mix of racing, fashion, entertainment, food, and wine.

Fun for the whole family can be found at the New Zealand Agricultural Show from 10 to 12 November. Here you’ll see the very best of our farming and agricultural sector, including sheepdog trials, wood chopping, exhilarating rides – and animals, animals, animals! This year, kids’ entry is free; with every adult or senior ticket purchased, you can select up to five kids’ tickets at no charge!

For those in need of a boogie, Synthony No. 3, on 13 November, will be bringing the ‘party to Ōtautahi’ while serving up your favourite dance tracks performed by a live orchestra, vocalists, and DJs. Tickets will sell out quicker than you can say doof doof, so get in quick.

This year will see the city’s newest cultural event introduced to the CBD – the South Island Moon Festival, running from 18 to 21 November. This celebration of East Asian culture and community will dazzle and delight you with C-Pop, K-Pop, fire-breathing dragons, Christchurch’s biggest-ever karaoke stage, and a giant 7.5m inflatable Moon! Come down to the City Promenade and expect to be impressed.

BLOOM is set to be an epic celebration of Ōtautahi Christchurch: the beauty of our city, its vibrancy and all there is to see and do – but perhaps most of all, the chance to come together and spend time with friends and whānau.

See full event listings at bloomnz.com

A MOON CELEBRATION

The South Island Moon Festival is a free, family-friendly event taking place on the City Promenade, as part of BLOOM, Christchurch’s spring festival of events. Moon Festivals are a traditional celebration in China and many East Asian communities.

On the corner of Armagh and Oxford Terrace, there will be an incredible display of traditional lanterns, animated by explosive performances from flame twirlers and fire breathers. Along the banks of the Avon River, you’ll find the wing of a dragon – the scaly creatures traditionally symbolise power, strength, and good luck. And would it be a Moon Festival without a lion dance? Lions have an important role in Chinese mythology, representing joy and happiness, and the dances chase away evil spirits and welcome prosperous times. Loud drumming, crashing cymbals, and gongs soundtrack the lion’s playful movements. If you watch carefully, you might see the lion scratching, shaking, and licking its fur.

Along the lantern trail and at Victoria Square, delicious noodles, dumplings and street food from across the world all come together. There will be cuisine from countries near and far, and you are guaranteed to be enticed by a range of snacks and meals, as well as coffee, sweet treats, and confectionery. The festival offers licenced bar areas for over 18s to grab a tipple while soaking up the entertainment. A perennial favourite of all savvy locals, Riverside Market, will also be open late, offering a range of exquisite food and highquality treats to boost your energy levels.

The Astronomer’s Bar is blasting into the CBD, with an epic astronaut inflatable taking over Scott Statue Reserve. Reaching out to the night sky, the astronaut represents the pinnacle of human ambition, an adventurer connecting humankind to the celestial. While pondering the infinite mysteries of the universe, snap a selfie and grab a drink from the friendly crew at the Astronomer’s Bar. This will be open until 10pm each night.

You’ll also find a spot of street karaoke here, so start warming up your vocal cords to take to the largest outdoor karaoke stage ever to grace our fine city.

Make sure you also head down to The Commons and Victoria Square once the sun goes down on Saturday 20 November for Christchurch Casino’s Sky Show, the perfect event to delight families and surprise all festival-goers with a dazzling display of colour and light.

The Commons hosts quite the sight. At over 7.5 metres high, an enormous scale model of the full moon has floated down to visit. Created by a company that specialises in film props, the moon sits at the heart of the South Island Moon Festival. According to tradition, the spring cycle of the moon is a time of celebration, and the full Moon represents renewal, prosperity, and celebration.

Don’t forget about the entertainment. Amongst a myriad of others, you can see Starblingbling’s K-pop style dance and Christchurch Fellowship of Song, Dance and Drama celebrate music, performance, dance, singing, and language. The Chinese Cultural Association is a dynamic group of artists and advocates with an impressive range of creative forms. You can also expect contemporary and traditional dancing from Chinese, Uighur, and Mongolian culture and delightful performances from some of the Moon Festival’s youngest performers.

What a time for families to gather to watch the full moon, eat mooncakes, and celebrate. The festival runs from 18 to 21 November.

southislandmoonfestival.co.nz

THE RENEWAL OF RICCARTON PARK

Cup week at Riccarton Park captures everything that is great about Canterbury.

It’s a time of renewal: fresh horses, fresh fashions, and plenty of time to celebrate. This is racing in New Zealand.

Like a rugby or cricket test match, the New Zealand Cup Meeting brings the best together from around the country – in this case, horses, trainers, and jockeys from as far away as Ruakākā and Riverton. All these participants have owners, friends, and supporters associated with them who come to Christchurch and spend. With 29 days of racing planned this season for the city, the races continue to be a major part of the local economy.

The CEO of Riccarton Park, Tim Mills, has been racing ‘since the cradle’ and loves “nothing better than a punt, a beer, and a share in a racehorse”.

Tim came to Christchurch after working at the New Zealand Racing Conference in the mid-1980s and worked for the Canterbury Jockey Club as the racing manager. In 1996, he took on the mantle of the CEO of Riccarton Park, which makes him one of the longest-serving administrators in the national racing industry, and he has been a previous recipient of the Canterbury Sports Administrator of the Year. In his time, the club has made significant advances: from the rebuild of the turf track in the late 1990s to the famed restoration of the historic Tea House, as well as numerous stabling constructions, and now – the latest string in Riccarton Park’s bow – the synthetic track.

This track is a major investment in the city, according to Tim. Local businesses have benefited from the track’s project, such as Fulton Hogan, their suppliers, and various other sub-contractors involved in the build.

It’s one of three such tracks across the country, and it’s impressive.

The track is 1900 metres in circumference and 18 metres wide, down the back straight to 16 metres wide in the home straight. This allows for starting limits of up to 14 horses from 1200m, 1400m, and 1600m starts, and 12 from the 2100m and 2200m starts. As the track is essentially a mix of sand, wax, and fibre, the extraordinary drainage allows for the best possible racing in wet and winter conditions. This type of track means up to a dozen additional race days will be held at Riccarton Park.

Tim reiterates that it’s not just for racing – it’ll be used for trials and training six days a week and supports many in their business endeavours.

Riccarton Park is also a highly respected function centre. As a 365 day a year operation, specialist venues such as The Tea House are particularly popular.

“Something often overlooked is the contribution that racing makes to the economy, providing a wide range of business and employment opportunities. 30 trainers are all operating their own small businesses at Riccarton Park.”

This year at Riccarton Park, you can expect the best horses, food, fashion, and live music – even outstanding car park parties enhanced by the park-like surroundings. Break out of the COVID blues with a day at the races, and celebrate with camaraderie, a bit of sporting excitement, and, of course, a chance to dress up.

racing.riccartonpark.nz