Kāwhia Kai Festival

Media release 26 November, 2009

Kāwhia Kai Festival caters for those hanging out for a hāngi!

Five of the 25 traditional Māori food stalls at next year’s Kāwhia Kai Festival on February 6 will be devoted to serving up hāngi due to increased demand from the expected 10,000 visitors.

Lifting the hāngi stalls from two this year to five next year means five local Kāwhia marae are now involved in putting down hāngi and providing their form of this Māori kai, says Festival organiser, Hinga Whiu.

“Māori and non-Māori visitors alike really want to sample hāngi food,” explains Hinga. “For many non-Māori, the Kāwhia Kai Festival is the first time they have been able experience the delicacies that come out of the hāngi – let alone the other traditional kai on offer.”

And those other traditional kai come from both the land and sea and include such delicacies as Toroi (marinated mussels and pūhā), Creamed Pāua and Kina, Īnanga (Whitebait patties), Kānga Wai/Pirau (fermented corn), Pūhā and pork spring rolls, Pāwhara (smoked fish and eel) as well as the local Waikato delicacy - Kōkī (shark liver pate).

“Visitors come from all over the country to sample these foods they can’t get anywhere else such as Kamokamo (Marrow) pickle,” says Hinga.

The taste of Māori culture the Kāwhia Kai Festival offers is more than just food with legendary Māori hospitality and entertainment provided throughout the one-day Festival held to celebrate Waitangi Day.

Fronting the day’s entertainment running from 10am until 5pm as MC will be entertainer, broadcaster and sports commentator Dale Husband of Tainui and Hauraki descent.

Headline act will be Moana and The Tribe who have performed more than 150 concerts internationally since Moana Maniapoto formed the group in 2002. And back by popular demand are OnThaOne, Shine Forum, Kōtuku Entertainers and highly reputable kapahaka groups, Mātā-Waka and Nōera

“We will have two stages running throughout the day - one set up for bands, and the other for the kapahaka performances and other traditional performance groups,” says Hinga.

With 25 food stalls planned, and nearly as many traditional arts and crafts stalls, the Festival organisers have expanded the area of the festival. Food stalls and entertainment will be centered around the idyllic Ōmimiti Park reserve on the shores of Kāwhia Harbour. While the arts and crafts stalls will now line the adjacent road which will be closed off to traffic.

Located at Kāwhia on the west coast of the North Island, the Kāwhia Kai Festival will open at 9.15am on Saturday, February 6, with a mihi whakatau welcome and blessing.

Gate entry will be $5 for adults and children over 5, while a family pass for two adults and two children will cost $15.

Ends

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