25,000 flock to all the fun of the fair

Jenna Powell | 9th February 2010

Four hundred and fifty four stalls and an estimated 25,000 people attended the 34th Martinborough Fair held on Waitangi Day.

Fair Organiser Lesley Christian said people had come from all over New Zealand to check it out.

"We have had people from Whangarei to Haast come especially for it," she said.

Ms Christian said it was good to see plenty of local people selling their wares.

Stallholders have to pay $250 to $425 for a site, depending of their power and permit needs.

Ms Christian said the fair was a great way for the South Wairarapa Rotary to get funding.

Eketahuna sculptor Mark Dimock was among the stallholders eager to get his brand out there and make a buck.

Mr Dimock said to make it to Martinborough in time for set up meant an incredibly early start.

"We set off at about 3 o' clock in the morning and we arrived at about 5am."

Mr Dimock has been attending the Martinborough Fair for 14 years ever since he started up his gallery.

He said business was slow compared to previous years and was hoping things would pick up in the late afternoon.

"So far it has been a bit slow really."

Mr Dimock said despite his slow trade at the fair, he is not a struggling artist.

"I can make a pretty decent living out of what I do. I even employ a few guys."

He uses totara, recycled power pole wood and steel in his sculptures using a variety of tools to carve them into life.

He said he moved to the area 30 years ago to pursue his dreams of being an artist but upon arriving realised he had to do something else to make ends meet.

"I was a builder, a house painter and carpenter. My work sort of evolved out of those jobs."

He started experimenting with different materials.

"As an artist I wanted to create something unique," he said.

The Martinborough Fair was part of the lead up to his two big exhibitions taking place in Auckland later this year.

Members of the Greytown Rotary Club started the Martinborough Fair in 1977 with only 35 stalls.

The Martinborough Fair is now driven by South Wairarapa Rotary and is their main fundraising project.

Funds raised from the event will go towards local charities with a special emphasis on those that benefit young people.

An amount of funds has been allocated for international aid to benefit countries struggling with war or disaster.