Alternate dance party draws 1200
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The Visionz 2001 Trust's inaugural Vision party at Billy King Creek at Pakawau winds up today with organisers pleased with the way the event went.
Up to 1200 people attended the dance and music festival.
Trustee Trevor Koberstein said today organisers were rapt with the event although he had expected a few more locals to come.
Mr Koberstein said the landowner was keen for the event to happen next year and he and others were too.
"A lot of work has gone into this site. I would like to see it happen again."
Trustee and site manager William McLatchie said while ticket sales had been slow to start with, sales had picked up in the time leading up to the event.
Mr McLatchie said before the festival that the first event was "the most fun, the most interesting, and you learn a lot."
The Visionz Trust has committed all the profit it makes on this and subsequent events to sustainable community initiatives, like organics and permaculture.
A Visionz crew made up of Golden Bay residents and others from around New Zealand and overseas prepared the Pakawau dairy farm site over a three-week period.
Carlos Gelling, from Nelson, who has brought his family over from Nelson to set up a food stall, said he was attracted by Vision party's more low-key and relaxed feel. "It's more family-oriented than The Gathering."
Mr McLatchie said he did not want to foster an anti-Gathering feeling, but he felt the older event was "in a different space."
"The Gathering caters for a different market. This (the Vision) was how we intended The Gathering to go. Last year when it came off Takaka Hill it was closure for me."
He was confident the Vision party would cover its costs and said the trust was in it for the long haul. "This year we are planting the seed." He said 5000 people would be a good number for the event and after that figure was reached it would be worthwhile setting up another Vision event, perhaps in Otago.