A celebration of Fiordland Wapiti, a new food event and a national darts competition have all received funding from the latest round of the Fiordland Regional Events Fund.
Winter Wapiti Weekend, to be held 30 June to 2 July, is a two-day trade fair and outdoor exhibition that will include educational seminars around hunting, conservation and mental health, sharing the Wild Fiordland Wapiti Venison story and a culinary event showcasing venison.
Flavours of Fiordland, date to be confirmed, is a new event showcasing Fiordland’s culinary talents, local growers, harvesters, and gatherers, and to bring people to Fiordland to experience a variety of delicious food, tasting samples and local wine.
And the Te Anau Darts Open 2023, 22-23 September, will attract some of New Zealand’s top players to Fiordland.
In this latest round of the fund, $42,000 of the original $580,000 was distributed, and $42,000 remains for future allocation.
Applications for round six of the fund will close on 24 August 2023.
The fund, established by the government as part of its post COVID-19 Tourism Recovery package, is to stimulate domestic tourism by supporting existing events or helping new events, and is administered by Great South.
Great South Conference and Events Manager Karen Witham said it was exciting to see two new food-based events that would support visitor attraction during the usually quieter visitor months.
“This fund is about attracting visitors to the region and at that time of year it’s a great reason for people travelling south to ski to venture that bit further.”
An independent investment panel assesses applications for the fund.
A Southland Regional Event Fund that had $180,000 for Southland events was exhausted in October 2021.
More information about the Fiordland Regional Event Fund can be found at greatsouth.nz.
Anyone who would like to apply for the next round of regional event funding should get in touch now. Email karen@greatsouth.nz