Last weekend Stratford district celebrated 10 years of Summer Nights events with a free concert and movies in the Ted McCullough Rhododendron Dell, King Edward Park.

The sun was shining and the sounds sensational as upwards of 500 people enjoyed a Saturday afternoon in the park. The talented duo Just Us and band Trip Change got the party started, and the crowd danced into the evening with The Slacks. The Dance Project wowed the audience with their choreography between musical performances.

Director Community Services Kate Whareaitu says, “We’re really pleased with how the weekend’s activities turned out, it was the perfect fun family atmosphere we wanted to experience with our community.”

“It seems like only yesterday that Summer Nights was born as an opportunity to encourage people to get together and enjoy what Stratford’s parks and reserves have on offer. Ten years later and the community once again showed us why this is an important and much loved community event.”

“It was great to see people of all ages enjoying the entertainment, sharing picnics, playing the outdoor games on offer, and full of smiles and positive thoughts at both events,” says Ms Whareaitu.

Three movies were played on the big screen on Sunday, including The Greatest Showman, Toy Story 4 and Bumblebee.

Ms Whareaitu says, “It was a nice relaxing afternoon activity with people coming and going depending on what they wanted to watch. A good number were there for all three films, which was really cool to see.”

“We had a few technical difficulties with the Toy Story 4 screening, so appreciated everyone’s patience as we worked through those.”

“We can’t thank everyone enough for making both these events happen. From the TSB Community Trust funding, through to our awesome volunteers, local businesses and community groups who were present at each event.”

“A huge thank you to those who came out and enjoyed the weekend, it’s always a pleasure putting on activities for our district and we’ve had some wonderful comments from attendees.”

“We look forward to year 11!” says Ms Whareaitu.

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