A Starry Night returns to Stratford

Nau mai haere mai ki Puanga o te tau hau Māori. Welcome Puanga!

Stratford District Council (SDC) is excited to welcome back A Starry Night as part of local Puanga celebrations from 5pm to 8pm on Thursday 13 July 2023.

Acting Director - Community Services, Chade Julie, says A Starry Night turns Prospero Place into a wonderland for all ages, with lighting displays, entertainment, kōrero, kai, kanikani (dance) and more.

“A Starry Night was magical last year. We had so much fun putting the celebration together and we were blown-away by the response from our community. We can’t wait to celebrate Puanga with them again this year,” says Chade.

Since 2019, SDC has invited people to reflect, learn, share, and celebrate Puanga with free activities for the whole community.

Over the last week, staff at the Stratford Library and Visitor Information Centre have been busy spending time with tamariki from local schools. School classes have visited to learn about Puanga and Matariki through creative storytelling, with each child decorating a special whetu/star for display in the Library.

Stratford’s Puanga rākau/tree will once again take centre stage during Puanga celebrations, with community members being invited to write down their goals and aspirations for the new year and place them on the tree.

“Coming together at this time of year is special. Puanga gives us the opportunity to celebrate our achievements to date, remember loved ones and look forward to the future. It’s about connecting with whānau and friends, having a kōrero and preparing for the year ahead,” says Chade.

“Our thanks go to Whaakahurangi Marae, the Māori Womens Welfare League, Toi Foundation, and Taranaki Electricity Trust for their continued support with this community celebration."

To stay up to date with Stratford’s Puanga celebrations for 2023, people should visit Stratford.govt.nz or follow SDC on Facebook. A full list of activities is available below.

What’s on for Puanga in Whakaahurangi, Stratford?

• 27 June to 17 July: Puanga rākau reflections and aspirations activity in the Stratford Library and Visitor Information Centre. Write down your burdens or the names of loved ones you’ve lost in the past year and these will be burned as part of our celebrations, and hang your aspirations and goals for the year ahead on our rākau.
• 27 June to 17 July: Check out our winning designs from the Puanga Flag Competition flying down Broadway. You can see all entries on display at the Library and Visitor Information Centre.
• Keep an eye on Prospero Place for a Puanga inspired pop up art installation.
• 13 July 5pm to 8pm: A Starry Night event – a spectacular celebration in Prospero Place, including the Library and Visitor Information Centre and Percy Thomson Gallery. Visitors will enjoy:
  • Kai, kōrero and kanikani!
  • Lighting displays
  • The Promise of Puanga story reading and sand art
  • Weaving wānanga with Māori Womens Welfare League
  • Performance by The Dance Project
  • Fire poi displays by Fire and Flow
  • Glow face painting
  • Toi o Taranaki ki te Tonga exhibition at Percy Thomson Gallery: Kahui Mareikura