Carnival Commentary

Each year the Nelson Public Relations Office publishes a "Holiday Carnival" programme. Its pages contain notices of various events and functions to be held during the main holiday season. These events and functions comprise our "holiday carnival." But the Public Relations Officer, Mr Sean O'Hagan, and a lot of other people with experiences of carnival programmes in other centres, know full well that Nelson does not have a holiday carnival programme, but a collection of events, run independently by each organisation and, at times, in opposition to others. As a result, our socalled holiday carnival is getting smaller and smaller each year, is holding less interest for the public and the members of the organisations concerned, and has varied only slightly in the last eight years. And it is high time that this type of disjointed carnival was over, and replaced by a carnival controlled by a central organisation.

We appreciate that many of the events run over the holidays must carry a gate charge, but it is also a fact that with the exception of King Neptune's Day at the beach, and possibly the river races, there is nothing provided in the programme that is aimed at crowd, and particularly child, participation. Everything else has to be paid for. Even the Beachcombers' Ball, always a popular event with the teenagers, has disappeared. There is now only one dance for the teenagers. There used to be two and three. There was no. ballroomtype of dancing for the older (and quite a big section of the younger) generation. And only through the good offices of the Great Benyon - who played throughout the season unpaid by anybody - was there any real family entertainment. This year the Nelson Car club took only $1120 dollars in gate charges and it estimates that it will lose several hundred dollars on the two day meeting.

Some years ago attempts were made to have the 100,000 Club organise the holiday carnival, but it received no support - especially from the City Council - and it died. The time has come to have another look at the feasibility of establishing a similar organisation to control the holiday programme.

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Why all this worry about a holiday carnival? The answer is simple. Holiday-makers go to the holiday resorts where they will enjoy themselves. Holiday-makers spend a lot of money in such resorts and retailers need this little bit of icing for their cake. If the holiday-makers don't come to Nelson, then a lot of the money that is tied up in businesses (motels, accommodation, food, etc.), is not going to come and circulate in Nelson and the district is poorer for it.

And In The Last Two Years The Number Of Visitors To Nelson Over The Holiday Period Has Dropped Considerably.

Why? Because they've been to Nelson and found facilities wanting? Possibly. Because visitors find there is little to do unless they pay, and pay and pay? Probably. An example is the Mardi Gras, supposedly the climax to the holiday programme. This has become too commercialised and, unless patrons are prepared to pay and pay at the countless stalls, actual participation is absolutely nil. And so the crowd walks backwards and forwards through the narrow alleyway between stalls and is bored stiff. Possibly the time has come when the Mardi Gras should be taken off Trafalgar Street and located in an enclosed area where there is ample room for the patrons to take part in what is supposed to be a joyous let-your-hair-dowri occasion, where there can be dancing, competitions, treasure hunts for the children and so on. The narrow confines of Trafalgar Street, with the ever-increasing number of stalls, does not lend itself to such a concept.

We commend most heartily the attitude of the Mayor, Mr Trevor Home, in recognising the importance of upgrading Tahunanui Beach. This is the magnet that draws the holiday-makers to Nelson. Better facilities must be provided there, and the most important is a soundshell where top-line entertainment (including theatrical and musical performances) can be provided. We need more events which would allow yisitors to participate - fishing contests for young and old, casting contests; putting contests on a putting course similar to that at Kaiteriteri Beach; novelty tennis matches at the Tahuna courts, 'and a host of others. But most of all, we badly need a central, carnival organisation.

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