Russell Birdman Festival returns tomorrow
The Birdman Festival is bringing the fun to winter when it kicks off on Saturday 8 July with a line up of free competitions and community activities in Russell. Don't miss it.
The ‘world famous in New Zealand’ Russell Birdman Festival is back with a flourish after a four-year break and is promising to be a day full of ‘fabulous fun’ events, starting at 10am tomorrow (Saturday 9 July).
Watching ‘birdmen’ in various stages of fancy dress leaping from the Russell Wharf is obviously the main event (starting at 2pm) but there is also a packed schedule of competitions and community activities before that. These include a beach dig, waka races, a spaghetti eating competition, street sports, a kids’ fishing competition, and much more.
As well as bragging rights, the birdwoman or birdman who is named Supreme Winner will walk away with a trophy and prizes donated from local businesses. You can check out the Russell Birdman Facebook page for more details.
The free day of community fun hasn’t been held since 2019 so the return of the event is a big deal for locals. The festival idea started in 2003 as a way to have a laugh in winter time and generate a buzz for local businesses in what was traditionally the quietest time of year. The growth and popularity of the event saw it grow into a four-day festival. This year, it’s back for just one day while the birdmen get back on their feet post-COVID lockdowns and recovery.
The Birdman Charitable Trust holds a party every March to raise funds, and this is their main source of funding. This year the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board also contributed $3,582 to the event.
Below - this year's programme information.
Below - the location and timing of events.
Below - festival participants from previous years.
