The Whitianga Oceans Festival delivered a full day of entertainment, great food and coastal atmosphere, drawing a crowd of more than 3,000 people to celebrate a unique beachside-western themed event.
Country, pop and soft rock were all on the menu as the festival showcased an impressive lineup of performers. The Vegas Brown Band took centre stage to headline the day’s entertainment, followed by Automatic 80s and The Western Guide, who added a touch of Pacific flavour to the programme. Australian country music artist Brad Cox rounded out the performances in style. Salty Peppers Line Dancing proved a crowd favourite, with festival-goers enthusiastically joining in, whether they knew the steps or not.
The beachside-western mash-up theme inspired some remarkable creativity, with many attendees embracing the occasion through colourful costumes and outfits. A sea of cowboy hats mixed with ocean-inspired attire became an attraction in itself, adding to the festival’s vibrant atmosphere.
Festival chairperson and organiser Linda Bird can be extremely pleased with the success of the event. The festival was well organised, well attended and filled with a happy, relaxed crowd enjoying the wide variety of music, food and activities on offer.
Saturday’s fine weather provided blue skies for much of the day, although a cool wind arrived later in the afternoon. The mechanical bucking rodeo bull was a major hit, attracting participants and spectators alike.
Many of those spoken to by The Informer had travelled to Mercury Bay for the weekend, combining the festival with a visit to the area. While stronger winds on Sunday changed a few plans, they did little to dampen the spirit of another successful Oceans Festival Coast Meats Country.
Quite a lot of people went all out creative with their costumes and outfits of the day, going in line with the beachside-western mashup theme among a sea of cowboy hats. Saturday gave the Festival blue sky for almost the entire day with winds bringing a cold edge in the latter part of the day. Bucking Rodeo mechanical bull-riding was a hit. Almost everyone The informer spoke to had come for the weekend to enjoy the festival and Mercury Bay. The Sunday wind changed a few minds but didn’t dampen The Oceans Festival spirit.
