2018 marks the 10 year anniversary of the Auckland Arts Festival. Even though there are events all around the city, The Festival Playground is located at Silo Park in the CBD. There are a few attractions and many of them free, which is what drew me to check it out last week.
Named Silo Park because of all of the old silos, there were large water beds (pictured above), a stage for free concerts and a free art gallery. There was also 2 areas for food and drink and a pay to visit “House of Mirrors.”
The art exhibit was really awesome, as it took traditional Maori art and made it futuristic. Peata Larkin Tauhere had several pieces inside a 6 silo area.
Most of the art looked like a “Lite Bright,” but when you looked closer you can see it was woven paint over mesh.
The fact this gallery was in silos was super interesting! I’ve never seen anything like it.
Next up was the “House of Mirrors.” For $12.50 NZD you could walk around a maze of mirrors. It was somewhat disorientating, but it was very cool and fun!
Toward the end, participants got to a room that was all mirrors and you had to find the door out. There was even a ghost (check my Instagram for that photo)!
After we came out of the “House of Mirrors” we headed over to the stage where the Lemon Bucket Orkestra was playing. They were putting on a free concert after just playing at the World Nomad (Womad) Festival in Taranaki.
They certainly were an orchestra, from a tuba to clarinet, everyone was playing something different!
Originally from Toronto, Canada, this 8 year old band calls their style “guerilla-punk-balkan-folk-brass.” Overall I enjoyed it because it was fun, lively and different. You could tell the band was having a good time and the crowd really got into it as well.
In terms of the Arts Festival as a whole, it brought lots of free activities over the month of March, and a few paid events as well. I was able to see 2 bands, art and have fun which is what it is all about!
PRO TIP: Always have an umbrella in your bag! It started raining as soon as I arrived, and if I didn’t have anything I would have been soaked. BLUNT umbrellas are made in Windy Wellington and can withstand wind and the rain!
Does your town or city have a similar event?