CARNIVAL AT WANGANUI

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1935, Page 2

CARNIVAL AT WANGANUI

PREPARATIONS COMPLETED. Elaborate preparations have been made for Wanganui’s week of carnival festivity, which begins on Saturday and continues until Sunday, Marih 3. The programme will begin with a combined regatta, in which the Wanganui Rowing Association and Wanganui Motor Boating Club are taking part. One of the features will be the meeting of the speed boats Miss Wanganui and Miss Ethel to decide the championship of the river. The princess of the carnival will arrive on Monday night and will be welcomed by the Maoris of Ratana and Putiki in tribal fashion, jn addition the Ratana troupe, which will bs accompanied by its famous Ratana-Morebu Brass Band, will stage what is known as the “Tasha.” This is a spectacular demonstration dating back further than anything attempted by Maoris these days in the way of ceremonial display. It js arranged to include the weapons of Inpg ago. Six hundred school girls have been trained to stage the life of “My Lady Dragon Fly” through the four seasons, summer to the fall. A flower ballet is to be included and will display hundreds of schoolgirls representing flowers from buttercups to sunflowers. All these events are to take in the open air On Tuesday afternoon following the arrival in Cook’s Gardens of a big procession

more than two miles in length. Festivities will centre on the beautiful racecourse grounds during the week where a “High Jinks Fair” will be promoted. At Castjecliff on Sunday, March 3, the surf sections of the West Coast will compete for the Hacksaw Searle Shield. ■ An excursion train will be run from Wellington on Saturday, March 2, leaving .at mid-day. There will be two special trains from Taranaki on the following Sunday. “ '