November in Ōamaru generally runs hand-in-hand with Heritage Celebrations time.

Running from next Wednesday (November 15) until Sunday, the theme this year is Migrations Stories - Sharing our Journeys.

“Just reflecting the fact that everybody came here from somewhere else,” Heritage Celebrations committee chairperson Ruth McEachern said. 

The five-day programme is jam-packed with a mix of activities - both old favourites and new additions.

The Garden Party at the Ōamaru Public Gardens on the Friday afternoon remains a popular fixture on the calendar, with croquet, light refreshments, “a gazillion costumes and just people running around having fun”, Ruth said. While, Le bal des émigrés (this year’s Heritage Ball) is on the Friday night.

Last year's penny-farthing women's race winners (from left) Evita Sheen, Sophia da Red and Stacey Pine.

The Grand Street Parade is on Saturday, along with the heritage bicycle races, the fashion show and the Dockside Dance from 8pm to late, with the same “fantastic band” as last year, Ruth said.

“The Dunedin Scottish Fiddle Orchestra played last year's Ceilidh, and people just raved about how good they were. They are really good musicians, and they have a very good caller . . . I've got some videos where she's explaining to people the simple steps of the dances before you dance them, so people just really enjoy themselves.”

And there is also, of course, the Victorian Fete, on Sunday, which runs from 10am-4pm, and is taking a new direction to celebrate its 35th year, and will have free entry.

Stronger focus on entertainment and fun for Fete

Under the umbrella of "new" is a murder mystery, The Troubling Wake of Theodore Knock, being held at the Brydone Hotel, on Wednesday night.

There are drinks and nibbles and two hours to solve the mystery.

“I think people come in costume, but they don't have to take on a character . . . I think if you're not in costume, just wear black. It sounds like great fun, and there are still some tickets available for that,” Ruth said.

Dancers Michael Parmenter and Kate Grace, from Balfolk Aotearoa/NZ, are also in town, running two events and two workshops.

“So they're doing Romantic Interludes which is “pop up” dance around Harbour Street, on Friday afternoon after The Garden Party.

“Then they're running two dance workshops to prepare for the Lower-Decks Dance on Sunday night, which is where they sort of recreate steerage entertainment, and where they will again be teaching people some simple dances and inviting them to join in. So demonstrating, teaching a few steps, and then getting people to join in, and that should be great fun.”

A couple visiting Ōamaru get into the spirit of the occasion at a previous year's celebrations.

That dance is Sunday from 5pm to 7pm, and is the first ever closing event. 

“Because we found that after the Fete, people were looking for something to do,” Ruth said.

The Filipino community has organised a display at Customs House Gallery which is on all week, and there is also a talk by local JP and Filipino descendant, Inday Bungard, about Filipino Migration Tales at the Early Settlers Hall on Sunday afternoon, which includes traditional Filipino snacks.

Planning for the celebrations have gone relatively smoothly, Ruth said.

“As a group, we're pretty harmonious, to be honest. We've got a really active, engaged committee, and we do make decisions by consensus, and we've had a really good time.”

The organising committee of seven volunteers started planning in February, with the aim of having a wider variety of events to keep different people interested. There are 50% more events than last year, she said.

“So what we are doing is looking to reflect the fact that Ōamaru was founded by different groups from different parts of the world at different times, and their influence is seen all through the community, and we wanted to reflect that heritage.”

This year the committee made an effort to get out and talk to as many community groups as they could, inviting them to take part. It was able to pull together the expanded programme thanks to a grant from the Regional Events Fund, managed by Tourism Waitaki.

“This has enabled us to engage professional event management services to coordinate the new events, and to do more promotion outside the region,” Ruth said.

In her second year as chairperson of the Heritage Celebrations Committee, the satisfaction she gets from the role comes less from being a Victorian enthusiast, and more an Ōamaru enthusiast, and the celebrations are a great way to promote the town, she said.

“I feel Ōamaru is a really unique, vibrant, interesting town, and events like the celebrations just bring that to the fore, and they instil a sense of community and a sense of civic pride.”

Brochures with a programme of all the events happening during the Ōamaru Heritage Celebrations can be found in businesses around North Otago, or online.