Thursday 16 June 2022 11:08am
Matariki Night Market organising committee members Rhonda Bryant (left) and Karamea Pewhairangi at the site of the upcoming market
Anticipation is building at the University prepares to host its first Matariki Night Market on the Dunedin campus.
The outdoor market on Tuesday 21 June (from 4pm to 7pm) will feature kai stalls, workshops, Kapa Haka and a stage with live music.
A measure of the interest in the event, which has been given the name Te Tauhoko Nui o Matariki, is that 250 tickets for the hāngī have already been sold and pre-orders are now closed.
Karamea Pewhairangi, a member of the organising committee, says the market reflects the growing awareness of Matariki as Aotearoa prepares to celebrate its first Matariki public holiday on Friday 24 June.
“It’s a way for us to come together and celebrate the new year but also reflect on the past and plan for the future,” Karamea says.
“Matariki is about reflecting on the previous year and those who have passed on, and that’s a really, big concept in Matariki because from a Māori perspective our family or the people close to us who pass on, it's said that they go to the stars. Matariki is a way we can remember them.
“But it's also a time where we can celebrate with others, celebrate life and celebrate the things we have achieved in the last year. And then the last aspect is to plan for the future and continue growing and set your goals for next year.”
The market will be based outside the Centre for Innovation on Castle St, near Te Rōpū Māori, Te Huka Mātauraka, Pacific Islands Centre and the Office of Māori Development.
The organising committee is expecting a good variety of kai stalls and food trucks with different student associations and Pacific Island groups serving up tasty fare. Pounamu and carvings will also be on sale alongside workshops in Māori art and weaving. Māori fashion designers will be displaying their work and a massage workshop will be held indoors.
“Some of the workshops are really cool because it gives people an opportunity to come along and be involved. There is a workshop where they utilise rocks from the earth and make make paint out of that. It's a really cool kaupapa. The underlying factor of that is this idea of claiming the land back and using it in art as well.”
The stage will feature performances from Kapa Haka groups He Waka Kōtuia (Kings and Queens High School group) and Te Rōpū Māori along with musical performances by Black Sale House and Emily Alice.
Support has come from other areas of the University and a team of volunteers will be on hand to help with set-up.“We expect that it's going to be cold. But if the wind can just hold off for the first few hours, that will be great.”
It’s hoped this is the first of many of these events and that the market will build in size and profile in coming years.
- Te Tauhoko Nui o Matariki Matariki Night Market - Stalls | Kai | Kapa Haka
- Date: Tuesday, 21 June 2022
- Time: 4pm to 7pm
- Location: Castle Street (entrance) Outside Te Rōpū Māori, Te Huka Mātauraka, Pacific Islands Centre and Office of Māori Development (Centre for Innovation)
- Note: Please bring cash as eft-pos facilities will be limited