Several confirmed dates for next February's HERO Festival have now been announced, timed to work in with Sydney's 30th Anniversary Mardi Gras Festival to provide a 'Down-Under Tour' package of events for international travellers. Auckland's 2008 HERO Festival runs for a three week period from 1 - 24 February and features several annual favourite events, with several more still to be announced. HERO's launch party - an evening of cocktails and canapés - is confirmed for Friday 1 February, with the Wigs on the Waterfront day of drag shows on Auckland's Viaduct Harbour still under negotiation for that weekend Sunday. The popular Big Gay Out family picnic day in Coyle Park will take place on Sunday 10 February. The annual HIV/AIDS charity fundraising HEROic Gardens Tour runs on the weekend of 16 - 17 February, then the elaborate HERO Party - this year again organised by M2 events - closes the Festival on Saturday 23 February. Sydney's 30th Anniversary Mardi Gras Parade and Party is planned for the following Saturday 1 March. Hundreds of New Zealanders are expected to join the over half a million spectators that turn out to watch the parade each year. A couple of hundred Kiwis are expected to cross the Tasman on Air New Zealand's 'Pink Flight' - local drag entertainers Miss Ribena, Buckwheat and friends will host the in-flight festivities just after also performing the newly-announced Pink Flight from San Francisco to Sydney the evening before. Several more HERO Festival 2008 events are yet to be announced, and negotiations are still in progress for the return of the Parade for 2009's festival. For more information, and for details about how to add your community group's event to HERO 2008, visit the official HERO website on the link below. Ref: HERO, GayNZ.com (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Saturday, 29th September 2007 - 10:30am