by Ann Revington
Matariki Wairoa-style began yesterday with a different star from the constellation featuring each day this week.
Most activities are at Wairoa Community Centre’s function room but will spill outside on Friday evening.
Food stalls and glowing lanterns with messages are followed by fireworks to light up the wintry night.
The community centre with Tairāwhiti REAP, Sport Hawke’s Bay and Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, to name a few, have fine-tuned the event over many years.
Group member Esta Wainohu is a community centre kai whakahaere who, with centre manager Sara Bird, has organised the epic week for more than a decade, targeting all ages with different themes each year.
Looking at the programme, Bird said today mokopuna were invited to the centre with police and whaea in support for art, music and kanikani (dance).
At noon, weaver Pita Robinson gave a korowai art demonstration and later, Amy Baty showed how to make kawakawa balm.
Monday heralded the star Waipuna-ā-rangi and poi-making, followed by waiata and kapa haka group Matangirau.
Tomorrow, the star Hiwa-i-te-rangi shines and there is a full day of Māori arts with tutors and their students working on frosted glass designs for Wairoa Taiwhenua.
Bird hopes Dr Sandy Adsett and some former students will join them for the day.
On Thursday, the environment is in the spotlight with a taiao technician from an awa restoration project. Katarina Kawana is looking for volunteers for small, local environmental projects.
Bring gumboots and a spade for harakeke planting and checking out inanga spawning sites.
Friday is devoted to the star Ururangi and ta moko returns for the third year.
The tattoo artists will work with those who have registered and the transformations begin at 9am through to 4pm.
The whānau concert begins at 6pm with hunger busters like chowder, chicken chow mein and hangi tempting tastebuds outside in a food fiesta for fundraising groups and sports teams.
A sombre note will commemorate those who have passed in a big screen display or maumahara after the concert and lanterns are lit before the fireworks display.
Hine Flood said it was important Matariki reached different sectors of the community over the five days, supported by several entities including the district and regional councils and Wairoa Taiwhenua for the community celebration.
“Matariki is about renewing, harvesting, refreshing and planning for the future and rebirth.
“It is an event that attracts the most people at one time because they know what they are going to get — the concert, maumahara, and the fireworks over the river.
“Last year we introduced lanterns.
“When they are lit it was a beautiful mood of austerity that flowed into the remembering and people just stared at the screen.”
This year’s theme is: what do your parents mean to you?