Celebration of Art Deco

Jacquie Webby | Monday, January 16, 2012 10:00

A celebration of art deco: The 12th annual Ranfurly Art Deco festival will be held on February 24,25 and 26 in the township. PHOTO: Supplied.

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Art deco aficionados will find lots to entertain them at the annual Ranfurly Art Deco Festival, to be held from February 24 to 26.

This year marks the 12th festival for the town, which has a series of buildings reflecting the art deco design style.

Special guest will be Australian crooner Vince Martin, well-known to television viewers as the face of the tyre chain Beaurepaires.

Mr Martin will perform at the Art Deco Cabaret/Deco Dance on the Friday night at the Ranfurly Town Hall, starting at 7.30pm.

The character band Forbidden Fruit will also provide some of the entertainment for Friday night.

Spokesperson for the organising committee, Diane Paterson, told the Oamaru Mail, the art deco style, which reflects the flapper era of the 1920s and 1930s, should provide some stunning outfits at the Friday evening cabaret.

Tickets cost $45 per person and are available from the Ranfurly i-Site or online.

On the Saturday, festival-goers can enjoy a street festival from midday.

"The street will be closed off and the shops will be open," she said. "Everyone will be able to relax and be entertained with continuous music, market stalls with local and visiting vendors, vintage cars, an art exhibition, including artists at work, and participate in a giant paint-by-numbers mural."

The mural will be started and finished by Central Otago artist Maxine Williams and it will ultimately be erected on a wall in the town. For children, the entertainment line-up includes a treasure hunt, a noddy train, face-painting and colouring competitions.

Entry to the street festival is $5 per person, with a gold coin donation for children under 16 and this includes admission to the Ranfurly pool. The second running of the Ranfurly Dolly Derby will also be held on Saturday.

Ranfurly's version of the trolley (known locally as the "dolly"), only requires four wheels and two axles and entrants must be pushed or pulled over the finish line.

An art deco-themed church service will be held on the Ranfurly Railway Station green on the Sunday.