Families bring festival of colour, community to Aotearoa's far north

A family who has made Whangārei home is hoping the city’s upcoming multicultural festival of colours will become a burgeoning annual community event celebrating happiness and light.

Harkamal Jeet Kaur, Ajay Kumar Sharma and their daughter Priyal Sharma are organising the Colours in the Park festival aimed at bringing happiness for families and friends through the traditional Indian-heritage celebration of throwing colours at each other, enjoying foods from around the world and watching dance performances.

Kaur said the family wanted to thank the people of Whangārei for being so welcoming when they arrived from Auckland in 2020.

Event co-ordinator and former Whangārei Girls Hgh School head girl Priyal Sharma (18) said she hoped the new community festival at Whangārei’s Pohe Island on February 1 would become an annual event connecting people from all cultures and walks of life.

“It's a multicultural festival of colours with the theme ‘colours connecting community’, where families can come along and play with vibrant coloured powders and enjoy food and performances too,” Priyal Sharma said.

“Whangārei is a beautiful place. We want to offer something for families and friends and connect people and communities.:

The family is working with Whangārei District Council-backed Multicultural Whangārei’s Suzette Monroe, to put on the event which is also being hosted by Authentic Flavours.

It has been organised for the school holidays so whole families can all attend.

Sharma said she was hoping for about 600 people to attend, double attendance figures at the first community event in 2025.

From left: Ajay Kumar Sharma, Priyal Sharma and Harkamal Jeet Kaur (SUBS: all correct) are hoping for big numbers to the city's second Colours in the Park festival at Pohe Island. Photo/LDR

The event is modelled loosely on a major Indian festival of colours, love and spring. People around the world celebrate this festival, marked by throwing colourful powders on one another in joyous celebration.

Societal rankings such as caste, gender, age, and status are forgotten in the spirit of making merry together, and everyone is fair game to be doused with colour.

Whangārei festival participants are encouraged to wear white which will likely become the canvas for unique mixes of red, blue, yellow, orange, green and pink as people throw coloured powders over each other.

But Sharma said people did not have to do so, or take part in throwing colours over others or having colours thrown onto them. “It’s completely optional.”

Sharma said the event is pet friendly. A white dog attending last year’s festival also ended up happily multi-coloured.

She said Whangārei’s Colours in the Park may have Indian roots, but it was firmly a Kiwi day out being held for all people.

Whangarei also hosted the VibesoffVine Music Festival in November 2025. Photo/Facebook

People from Whangārei and beyond were welcome. Indonesian and Thai dancing will be among festival offerings, which will also feature ethnic foods and stalls along with children’s games.

Participants will also be eligible to win the event’s most colourful person award after the paint throwing.

The eco-friendly, kid friendly, stain proof red, blue, yellow, orange, green and pink festival powders are made in New Zealand.

Sharma ran a school-based festival predecessor for Whangārei Girls High School.

It will be held at William Fraser Memorial Park from 10am-3pm with friends and strangers participating in playful throwing of powders followed by feasts and community bonding.

Sharma and her parents moved from India to New Zealand in 2016. They lived in Auckland initially but shifted to Whangārei in 2020. She said it was great to be able to offer options for people from around the district.

It was good to provide an opportunity for young people to get off their internet devices.

Sharma will be returning to Auckland University of Technology for her second year of studying computer sciences soon after the festival. She aims to work in cyber security.

Sharma has lived in New Zealand since she was six, and is passionate about blending people and cultures.

That extends to her home where the family has two bilingual budgies Mintu and Tara.

“They speak Hindi and English, but mostly English.” Sharma said.