Settlers' Dance to Bring 150 Years of Music to Katikati

The centrepiece of Katikati's 150th anniversary weekend will be the Settlers' Dance on Saturday 13 September at the Katikati War Memorial Hall — a free, family-friendly evening honouring the kind of céilí the town's Irish founders would have loved back in 1875.

Brett Lowe is leading a 12-piece band that will perform in period costume, taking audiences on a musical journey from 1875 through each decade right up to the 1950s. Organiser Terelle Carroll described it as a fun night filled with dancing, adding that a silent film screening on the evening is set to be a highlight. "Everybody is welcome, entry is a kōha donation and a plate of cold finger food," Carroll said.

Attendees are encouraged to dress up in period costume to really get into the spirit of the occasion. The event is part of a broader weekend recognising the arrival of George Vesey Stewart's Ulster Irish settlers, and promises something a little special for the whole whānau.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).