Giant pumpkins, 3000-plus books and a live beehive. It's all happening for Te Puna's first ever Harvest Market this Saturday, May 6.
'I'm always keen to celebrate the region we live in,” says Te Puna resident of 31 years, Sue Clarke. Alongside the Te Puna Hall committee crew, Sue says they wanted to do something in the community to bring people together.
'So we basically came up with the idea of the Harvest Market! Harvest markets traditionally around the world celebrate the end of a harvest, and I guess we are in a region for producing in Te Puna so that was kind of the inspiration for it.”
This Saturday, May 6, the market will have something for everyone to enjoy with tasty food, a four-piece live band, craft and produce, flower and plant stalls and more, says Sue.
'We have people growing and producing interesting things from plants to flowers, to mushrooms to arts and crafts – so I think it's a nice way to celebrate what's going on in the region.”
Keeping in line with the harvest theme, the market will run a giant pumpkin competition too. 'Kids were given pumpkin seeds at Te Puna School last year so hopefully we've got a few big pumpkins!”
Books and bees
The market also coincides with the Te Puna library closing down, which donated all their books to the hall committee. 'We've got 3500 ex-library books to sell.”
Also in the book space, Te Puna author Rachel Weston will be signing her books at the market and selling them on special. 'She writes stories about insects and bumble bees and she's got a live hive of bumble bees from the NZ Bumblebee Trust… that's exciting and something else for children and adults to look at.”
The Rustic Charm Travelling Farm has also jumped on board and will journey from Reporoa with their friendly, hand-raised animals. 'They're bringing interesting animals. We're getting a llama, a pig, and a big lizard to look at and to hold,” says Sue.
'We hope people will come out and enjoy the afternoon because we've put something on for everyone really with the music, the food and something for the children.”
The Harvest Market is 12pm-4pm on Saturday, May 6, at Te Puna Memorial Hall, 23 Te Puna Rd.