Queenstown Winter Festival's blog

American Express Queenstown Winter Festival 2011

Winter Starts Here!  There is plentyto get excited about as the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter party,  the American Express Queenstown Winter Festivalgets into it from June 24^th to July 3rd. The Festival celebrates thebeginning of winter with a jam packed 10 day programme featuring somehilarious, possibly outrageous and definitely unique Queenstown events. 

There are fireworks, comedy, drag races, birdman action, jazz, food andwine, street parades, family fun, a great mix of internationally acclaimedperformers and home-grown acts, a Charity Boxing Match and a glamorous ball –and that is just in town!  Up on themountain you can catch loads of winter action with ski races, mayhem on themountain for families and ski and boarding fans, dog races and superbentertainment.  2011 will herald thereturn of many Festival favourites as well as an injection of fresh new eventssure to get everyone in the party mood.

Since first being staged in 1975 by Queenstowner’s who thought thearrival of snow was a ‘great excuse for a party’, the Festival has evolved toforge a unique identity as New Zealand’s premier celebration of all thingswinter.  Now an iconic event cemented onNew Zealand’s calendar, it attracts 60,000 attendees and injects a whopping $45million back into the local economy.

The Festival gets underway in style on Friday June24th at the free American Express Opening Party with a spectacular fireworksdisplay, live music, mulled wine, and plenty of laughs.  

Check out all the action at www.winterfestival.co.nz.