“I’m looking forward to the public getting more involved
this time, dressing up in ‘60’s vintage, having their hair back-combed, having
a go-go lesson and dancing in Ironbank courtyard afterwards,” says organiser
Laura Forest.
Now into its fifth year, First Thursdays attracts a crowd of
around 8,000 people – a crowd Laura hopes will join with retailers, café
owners, performers and musicians in recreating the spirit of an era close to K’
Road’s own revolutionary heart.
Participants willing to embrace the theme will be ably
assisted in this endeavour by a team of vintage specialists in St Kevin’s
Arcade offering free beehive hairdos and flower power face painting, while a
best-dressed competition will see one 1960’s pretender walk away with a $100
voucher to spend at arcade old-timer Vixen Vintage.
The NZ Film Archive will be reminiscing with showings of
footage of outdoor festivals from the period while an East St marketing company
will make an outside 1960’s lounge available for cinema viewings.
A Flashback Walkway will feature at La Gonda Arcade where
life-size cardboard cut-outs will depict key characters and events of the day
and, at the top of Queen St, Maori Stylez will host a Maori/1960’s fashion
parade in-house.
Cross St Arcade at 214 K’ Road will undergo its usual
transformation into a bustling art and craft market and the opportunity to have
New Zealand-made 1960’s couture photographed for posterity at 179 K’ Road will
be on offer from the New Zealand Fashion Museum and Kingsize Studios.
Keep an eye out for roving go-go dancer Miss La Vida, have
your dress-up get-up painted by street portrait artists for $10 and dance the
night away to the sounds of soul and R & B emanating from 50-year-old vinyl
at Verona.
It’s an “appropriately broad” theme, says Laura. “Even within the ‘60’s you can approach it
from so many different angles, which means we’re not confining people to any
one thing.” But, dress choices aside,
the thing which gives her the most pleasure as this celebration of all things
art unfolds, “is simply walking around on the night watching people having so
much fun.”
What: First Thursdays
Where: Karangahape Rd
When: Thursday 1 May 2014
Time: 6-9pm
Website: www.firstthursdays.co.nz
