What’s Hot for the 2011 Queenstown Winter Festival
Get ready to hold onto your hosepipes and buckle up tight, for the brand new ‘hot and happening’ events taking place at the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival (June 24 – 3 July) this year.
From the weird and wacky and definitely unique Kiwi events to a complete magical transformation of downtown Queenstown, Festival organizers have injected brand new and exciting events to the 2011 line up.
Kicking off the Festival’s Opening Night and Fireworks (Friday 24 June) will be Queenstown’s own ‘slice of heaven’ as Kiwi-rock band Jordan Luck takes to the stage joined by local and national artists and the resort’s biggest fireworks display – washed down with lashings of mulled wine.
The Opening celebrations will then continue indoors at the American Express Ice Box (Memorial Hall) for the ABSOLUT NZ Party featuring top kiwi band Dukes and a host of NZ inspired cocktails by ABSOLUT.
On the slopes of Coronet Peak, Winter Festival’s Official Festival Mountain, the Firefighter Chill Factor Challenge takes place on Sunday 26 June with uniformed firemen from around the country attempting to ski as many runs as they can - attached to each other by a fire hose. Money raised will go to official Festival Charity the Bruce Grant Youth Trust.
Next is the AJ Hackett Bungy NZ Cyclocross Championships at Jardine Park, Kelvin Heights on Saturday 2 July. The third annual championships, best described as ‘cross-country road biking with a twist’ stages high-octane sprint races through water, mud, dirt and snow before crossing the finish line.
Also new this year is the inclusion of The Remarkables as mountain venue with the Quiksilver Slopestyle Invitational taking place in the terrain park on Sunday 3 July. Open entry heats start the competition with top qualifiers then going head to head against invited skiers and riders to find out who really is “king of the mountain."
Finally, the magical outdoor Ice Skating Rink on Queenstown’s Village Green, will operate for the duration of Festival, hosting the Stars on Ice (Tuesday 28 June) and a truck load of cool performances by local sporting and ice skating acts.
Festival Director Simon Green said this year’s introduction of fresh events would complement the inherently Queenstown events that Winter Festival was renowned for.
“We expect this line up of new events to captivate the hearts and minds of those involved, spectators and Queenstown. No doubt we’ll welcome some of them back to the programme next year,” he said.
“Originality and fun in the programme each year is vital to keep people coming back.”
The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter party, the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival returns from 24 June to 3 July for ten days of winter fun in Queenstown New Zealand.
Tens of thousands of locals and visitors are expected to take to Queenstown’s streets and ski slopes to celebrate the official start of winter with heaps of on-mountain action, outrageous, fun and glamorous events from street parties, parades and fireworks to live concerts, comedy and theatre.
To see the full line up of the programme and individual event details check out the complete American Express Queenstown Winter Festival calendar online at www.winterfestival.co.nz or pick up a programme at information outlets throughout the region.
Tickets for all events can be bought from TicketDirect online at www.ticketdirect.co.nz, by phone 0800 224 224 (03 450 9110), or in person at the Queenstown Events Centre or Queenstown i-Site (corner of Shotover and Camp streets)*.
* Ticket service fees apply