Carterton District Council is still planning to go ahead with the Daffodil Festival on Sunday 13 September, should the Government alert levels allow for it.

Council management remain hopeful New Zealand will move down Alert Levels after Sunday 6 September, which would allow the festival to go ahead as planned.

“The Daffodil Festival is such an iconic and special event for our district, so we have decided to stay the course for 13 September,” said Carterton District Council Community Services Manager, Carrie McKenzie.

“We are very conscious of how much this festival benefits our district and we appreciate everyone’s patience while we wait for the Government’s decision about alert levels. Any decision to cancel the festival would be a last resort for us.

“We understand the uncertainty this may give stall holders and others planning their trips to Carterton for the event, but we encourage everyone to hang in there.”

Stall organisers, Carterton Lions, agreed with this sentiment.

“We are on target and ready to go if we get the green light,” said Heather Smith of Carterton Lions.

“We have new stalls, and we have matched last year’s record-breaking stall numbers.

Plunket rely on funds raised from daffodil picking at Middlerun farm, and the organisation remain positive the event will still go ahead.

“We are still hopeful and excited about the festival going ahead on Sunday 13 September,” said Annette Rickman from Plunket.

Carterton District Council will continue with planning the Daffodil Festival pending a Government announcement about which alert level Wairarapa may be in after 6 September. It anticipates strict protocols may be in place to protect everyone, such as mask wearing and contact tracing. The council is preparing for all eventualities and encourages anyone intending to attend the festival to do the same.

If Wairarapa remains in alert level 2 or moves to an alert level which restricts group numbers, this will result in the festival being cancelled and the council will advise everyone as soon as possible.

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