Wheely wonderful Winter Deco...

So you loved the Art Deco festival in Napier in February, and are thinking about heading to the Hawke’s Bay Toyota Winter Deco Weekend. What’s the lowdown? Glory Days' Miriam Sharland offers us a glimpse of the wonderful winter getaway...

Winter Deco is a low-key affair compared to February’s event, when the city is over-run with folk of all ages dressed up to the nines in their deco duds, enjoying free concerts, outdoor picnics and soapbox derbies. It may perhaps be best not to expect bevies of flappers and streets road-blocked with vintage cars during winter, but if you’re a hard-core Deco fan, or simply can’t wait a whole year to break out the beaded dress or tweed suit, then Winter Deco Weekend makes a good mini-break for the retro-minded.

A small vintage car and bike parade took off at midday, led by Colin of the Loyal Haumoana Cycle Club on a penny farthing (pictured above right). We were feeling quite sad that we hadn’t brought our retro bikes but the rain started about five minutes after the riders set off, and we decided we were really glad we hadn’t brought the bikes after all! 

We took shelter on the cosy vintage railcar shuttle to Hastings, and there were also showings of silver screen legends in the Art Deco Centre on offer to escape the inclement weather.

There was a choice of events Saturday night; we dropped into the casino in the beautiful Gatsby Room at the Masonic, to watch the high spenders of Deco-dom in their finery (pretend to) gamble away their fortunes at the tables. 

Image credit: Greg Thompson gregjt@xtra.co.nz

The ever-game Born to Move Deco Dancers were everywhere – seeing off the car parade in thin cotton dresses in the cold wind, adding an extra layer of glamour to the casino in basques and feathers, and rehearsing in the Municipal Theatre during Sunday’s backstage tour. 

A nice aspect of Winter Deco is that the hotels are more affordable and space is not at such a premium, and it is far easier to book events and enjoy the cafes and restaurants in the area. It’s also a good time to visit other attractions such as the Museum Theatre Gallery, where the earthquake exhibition gives a sobering backgrounder to the fun and frivolity that takes over the city during Deco weekends.

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For more information about the Deco events held in Napier each year. visit the Art Deco Trust website and start booking your tickets back in time now!

Fancy reading more about the Art Deco period? Buy your copy of Glory Days issue 5 here which has a wealth of information, articles and fashions from this era.

Would you like to know all the shopping hotspots in the area? Order yourself a copy of Glory Days issue 10 which features This Vintage Town Napier and surrounds.