From the Taranaki Daily News

The population of Parihaka is expected to swell next weekend as hundreds of people make a pilgrimage of peace to the annual Puanga Kai Rau Festival.

Each June, the stars of Puanga signal the end of one year and the beginning of the next for Maori.

Parihaka kuia Maata Wharehoka said the weekend was designed to bring Taranaki back to Parihaka and celebrate the new harvest season.

"This is the second time our community has come together to celebrate Puanga and we are inviting the whole region to come and join in the festivities and activities."

The celebrations start on June 7 with a lighting of the first fire and will continue through to Sunday with working bees, film screenings, workshops and live bands on Toroanui Marae.

"During the day, our cooks will be busy feeding the people and showcasing some of our excellent Maori cuisine.

"At night, we will gather around Puanga and the seven fires representing the sisters of Matariki.

"This will be the time for story-telling, music, fun and laughter."

We just made a couple of slight changes to the program. While it's windy today, the weather forecast is looking good for the weekend!

We are pleased to announce that we have just released the final program of this year's festival. You can find the details of the concert, the workshops, documentary film screenings and other activities HERE.

See you all in a few days at Parihaka!