Festival showcases Queenstown culture

Day eight of the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter party and celebrations show no sign of slowing down with on-mountain activities and downtown fun still riding high on the Festival programme.

Today (Friday 1 July) hundreds turned up at Earnslaw Park in fancy dress and ready to throw their balls in fury at each other for the Speight’s Summit Dodgeball Championship. ‘Tiney Gineys’ came in first place smashing the ‘Jager Bombers’ who finished second.

Meanwhile on Official Festival Mountain, Coronet Peak, skiers and boarders were treated to a slope-side live concert with the American Honey Concert featuring Kiwi-bands Mercury Crowe and Mile High.

Last night at the American Express Ice Box, girl power was out in force for the Alpine Health & Fitness Ladies Fashion Challenge where 12 local ladies took to the catwalk to showcase 12 weeks of fitness training, nutritional guidance in a complete image overhaul.

Host Emma Lange was joined by Queenstown Mayor Vanessa van Uden to celebrate the ladies’ achievement and their collective weight-loss of 100 kilograms, which was represented as the exact weight of Festival Director Simon Green who was brought out in a wheel-barrow.

Inspiring the audience later was a quirkily-led catwalk show from the locally created Art 2 Wear fashion collection, including the beautiful ‘1000 Cranes’ designed by Jil Leydon and Keiko Wyngaarden from the Arrowtown Japanese Community, made as its prayer for healing and hope and future happiness for the people of Japan.

Tomorrow (Saturday 2 July) the notorious Suitcase Race and Dash for Cash takes place as part of the Air New Zealand Holiday Mountain Mayhem on Coronet Peak from 11am. Entry registration takes place on the day.

Also taking place is the AJ Hackett Bungy NZ Cyclocross Championship and Ice Hockey featuring the Southern Stampede vs Botany Swarm before THE major Festival concert event, the Stoneleigh Jazz night at Skyline, gets going overlooking the resort.

Looking ahead to Sunday (3 July) the Quiksilver BoxZilla challenge takes place at The Remarkables on the Beginners slopes in front of the Base Building. Entrants will be taken on the day from 9 -10.30am

For full programme details check out the complete American Express Queenstown Winter Festival calendar online at www.winterfestival.co.nz or pick up a programme at information outlets throughout the region.

Tickets for all events can be bought from TicketDirect online at www.ticketdirect.co.nz, by phone 0800 224 224 (03 450 9110), or in person at the Queenstown Events Centre or Queenstown i-Site (corner of Shotover and Camp streets)*.