Early each year, the Newtown Fair is held. Several other suburbs have similar fairs, including nearby Kilbirnie and Island Bay, but this eclectic fair is on another level.
I've attended since 2009, when it was considerably smaller. Now instead of just Riddiford and Constable Street, it has grown to envelop many of the side streets and part of Rintoul Street as well. Instead of one stage for live music, I saw at least four. With that scale in mind, take a walk with me through the bustling streets.
The first thing you notice is the sheer volume of food stalls. With my heart sinking, I realised I'd only be able to sample a very small fraction of what was on offer.
Some stalls were 'mini me' versions of larger establishments, like Cicio Cacio and Le Canard, while some were stand alone food trucks or stalls. Crepes a Go Go was one of the first stops we made, even though it is readily available on Manners Street, which just goes to show how much we appreciate the quality fare of this creperie.
Certain drink stalls offered free samples. It was my first time trying honey mead (she asked to see my ID, how embarrasing), and I have to admit that I didn't like any of it. Wanting to clear that bad taste from my mouth, we went in search of tastier morsels.
Unable to find freshly squeezed juice as we were hoping for, I settled for a Schweppes. (Potentially a gap in the market for future fairs.) Crafty stalls were popular, if not as plentiful as food stalls. Here you can see coat racks made from bent spoons, and my dad who I was sure was doing a bunny ears behind my head.
Entertainment was provided by a travelling puppet box, and further along by a makeshift cricket pitch.
A tiny bonsai tree growing out of a rock is an adequately cute way to end a post. Yes. The end.
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