Antarctica summer celebration
The Antarctic season-opening programme kicks off on Saturday 1 October. A series of events will take place in and around the city during the week from 1-9 October, to celebrate the special connections Christchurch has with Antarctica.
This year, the Christchurch City Council is coordinating the inaugural Antarctic Season Opening Programme which, next year, will grow and become an Antarctic Festival – a celebration of our city’s status as the gateway to Antarctica.
The City Council believes the city’s links to the polar continent are significant in many ways and councillors recently decided the organisation should work with other interested organisations to develop the planned annual Antarctic Festival. It will celebrate and help promote the area’s strong current and historic ties to the frozen continent.
A sum of $60,000 has been earmarked to help with this year’s programme of events and support development of the first festival in 2006.
Included in this year’s programme will be displays, speeches, recitals, exhibitions and other activities. Highlights include the Haaglund Charity Challenge at the Antarctic Attraction, a variety of exhibitions at Canterbury Museum and Science Alive, presentations by local and international Antarctic historians and scientists and the annual Antarctic church service at Christ Church Cathedral in the Square.
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