festival fun with paddles

Aqualand Swim School’s very own water safety mascot will be making some extra special appearances during his very first Winter Festival!

Paddles will take to the streets of Queenstown in his very own “Paddles World of Leisure” float in the Oaks Hotels and Resorts Festival Street Parade on Saturday 26 June. A festival family favourite, the streets of Queenstown come alive with a colourful parade of floats, super hero’s, little and big people. Queenstown businesses, community groups, the 501st Legion and festival sponsors dedicate their time and energy to create this awesome spectacle, so join the crowd and watch the fun that is the Festival Street Parade.  Watch out for Paddles’ bright white fur and be sure to give him a wave a he passes by.

Take heed that this year's Festival Parade commences at 12 noon giving you plenty of time to wander down to Earnslaw Park to enjoy the Family Fun Day which starts at 1.00pm and features the Parade prize giving.

Paddles will also be welcoming children at the door and giving out high fives all round at the Cookie Time Teddy Bear’s Picnic at Queenstown Events Centre on Sunday 4 July. Accompanying him at this free family event is the bright red, fuzzy Cookie Muncher.

Trying not to get his fur wet, Paddles will come pool-side for the More FM ‘Wild about Water’ pool party on Friday 2 July. Paddles will be showing support to all the contestants and helping to choose the winners of the competitions.

american express ice box

Queenstown is perhaps one of the only places in the world that could put an Ice Box in a car park and transform it into a festival venue!  

The Stanley and Ballarat Street Car Park will temporarily close from Sunday 20 June to Sunday 4 July to make way for the stunning new venue.  Catch one of these exciting Winter Festival events at the American Express Ice Box:

• RUSSIAN STANDARD PLATIUNUM PARTY, Friday 25 June at 8pm, FREE – SOLD OUT
  
• SNOWSPORTS NZ ANNUAL AWARDS NIGHT, Saturday 26 June at 6.30pm, $65*
• LINDAUER LADIES FASHION AFTERNOON, Monday 28 June at 1pm, $39* – SOLD OUT
  
• CANADIAN CLUB LATE NIGHT LAUGHS, Tuesday 29 June at 9.30pm, $39*
• POP TO PAGLIACCI, Wednesday 30 June at 6pm, $59*
• CANADIAN CLUB LATE NIGHT LAUGHS, Wednesday 30 June at 9.30pm, $39*
• SKYCITY CABARET NIGHT, Thursday 1 July at 7pm, $39*
• RUSSIAN STANDARD BIG CHILL, Friday 2 July at 8pm, $39*

Tickets for these events can be purchased from Queenstown Events Centre, Queenstown and Wanaka i-SITEs, by calling 03 450 9110 or visiting www.TicketDirect.co.nz   *Prices subject to service fees. See www.winterfestival.co.nz  for full details.

thriller in the chiller

michael hill international violin competition recital

5pm, Sunday 27 June, Queenstown Memorial Hall, Tickets from $10

Join an international violin super-star and one of New Zealand’s most prestigious piano-players for an evening of delightful music.  2009 winner of the prestigious Michael Hill International Violin Competition, 23-year old Czech Josef Špaček, will be joined by the legendary Kiwi pianist Michael Houstoun for two stunning performances at Queenstown Memorial Hall on Sunday 27 June.

The collaboration of these two world-class musical talents is guaranteed to be a dynamite performance for festival-goers with Spacek’s recent rise to fame and Houstoun’s lifetime contribution to music.

Špaček has attracted widespread international acclaim since winning several national and international competitions, including the 2009 Michael Hill International Violin Competition, and has performed as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra and Prague Philharmonia to name a few.

Michael Houstoun has contributed to New Zealand music as a concert pianist and chamber musician for the past 35 years. He performs music of the highest calibre tirelessly all over the country in recitals, with orchestras and in festivals to critical acclaim.

Click here for tickets.

lindauer top blokes competition

Launch - 5pm, Friday 25 June, Altitude Bar, FREE
Ladies Cocktail Evening - 6pm, Friday 2 July, Queenstown Memorial Hall, $30
Finale – 7pm, Sunday 4 July, Queenstown Memorial Hall, $35

Could you be the 19th Lindauer Top Bloke of the Queenstown Winter Festival?

This annual event aims to find the ultimate Queenstown man-about-town in a series of competitions between 24 men over three nights.  The Lindauer Top Blokes Launch kick starts the challenge on Friday 25 June for contestants to battle out a number of tests in front of their workmates and employers to go on to the next level.

The Lindauer Top Blokes Ladies Cocktail Evening on Friday 2 July tests the town’s sweet-talking men in front of 500 women, who then judge them for Best Personality and Most Photogenic to send them onto the next round.

In the final stage of the challenge and on the last day of the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival, the Lindauer Top Blokes Finale on Sunday 4 July sees the remaining contestants perform a cabaret-style show in front of judges and a huge Winter Festival crowd to take the Lindauer Top Bloke crown.

Pleaase note all Lindauer events at the Winter Festival are R18.  Click here for tickets to the Ladies Night or click here for tickets to the Finale.

mactodd seniors luncheon

12pm, Tuesday 29 June, Queenstown Memorial Hall, FREE

Known as a highlight for many community senior citizens over the Winter Festival, the annual Mactodd Seniors Luncheon is a great way to catch up with old mates. Receive a complimentary three-course lunch and “tipple” on arrival. This event is always very popular and books out quick so be sure to reserve your seat.

RSVP to Mactodd on 03 441 0125 or email reception@Mactodd.co.nz.

more fm wild about water pool party

2pm, Friday 2 July, Alpine Aqualand, standard pool entry

Celebrate the start of the school holidays at More FM’s ‘Wild about Water’ pool party that’s guaranteed to go off with a splash.  Bring all your mates after class and jump into the warm waters of Alpine Aqualand for a whole load of fun and games on Friday 2 July.

More FM’s DJ Henry Youngman will be spinning the latest chart-topping tunes while crazy races and competitions go off in the pool to win a ton of cool prizes. Paddles will also be poolside to join in the fun and games and help choose the winners.

Competitions and games include:

• Lazy River Race - Swim hard against the current of water in the Lazy River to win the race for a prize.
• Bomb Competition – Break the ‘No Bombing in the Pool’ rule for one day only and show us the biggest splash you can do.
• Silly Stroke Competition – Take up a whole lane with your crazy arms or swim like a mermaid with your funniest attempt to swim the whole length of the lap pool to win.
• Dunking Machine – Ready, aim, fire! Soak your mate underneath the Dunking Machine if you hit the target the Dunking Machine.
• Spot the Ring Competition – Keep a look out for the ring at the bottom of the pool and swim down to get it. More FM’s Henry Youngman will be throwing in the prize rings throughout the afternoon.
• Wackiest Dressed Team – Customise your own swim suits, borrow your Gran’s, wear some coconuts…this is a fancy dress pool party to remember. Show us your craziest team outfit and win an awesome prize for you and your mates.

lindauer jazz night

7.30pm, Saturday 3 July, Skyline Complex, Tickets from $89.00-$111.00*

Always a sell-out event, the Lindauer Jazz Night is a jazz experience like no other and this year’s line-up is sure to thrill!

Getting things off to a start upstairs in the Skyline’s Jazz Lounge will be Vanessa Kelly with a seductive blues set before Coast’s acoustic brilliance comes on to set the mood for LA Mitchell to dazzle the crowds with her unique and distinctive jazz sounds.

Downstairs the party atmosphere will truly get off to a flying start with live music from Eru Dangerspeil, to be followed by dance extraordinaires Sola Rosa and DJ Spikey Tee.

The Lindauer Jazz Night is a long-standing tradition at the Winter Festival and goes down as a festival highlight every year. Remember your dancing shoes, because once this night starts it doesn’t stop!

Click here for show & dinner tickets or click here for show only tickets.

cookie time teddy bear’s picnic

11am-2pm, Sunday 4 July, Queenstown Events Centre, FREE

Paddles is super excited to go down to the enchanted forest at the Queenstown Events Centre for this year’s Cookie Time Teddy Bear’s Picnic and everybody’s invited to join him!  To be held 11am-2pm on Sunday 4 July, this is a free family event .

Parents and children are invited to bring a picnic lunch and their favourite teddy bears to enjoy captivating storytellers, colourful face painters, songs aplenty and special guests working their magic.

Greeting children at the door will be Paddles and his new friend in town, the Cookie Muncher, who is an unmissable bundle of energy with bright red fur and a great big smile on his face.

There are prizes for the ‘Best Dressed Teddy Bear’ and the child with the ‘Most Teddy Bears’ as well as a prize for the ‘Best Dressed Little Person’, awarded to the child who has made the best effort to dress up as their favourite character.