Ōhope Beach will come alive this weekend as the inaugural Ōhope Beach Festival delivers a packed programme of free, family friendly activities celebrating culture, creativity and place.

Held at Māhy Reserve and along the beachfront on Saturday and Sunday, the festival brings the community together with kite flying, sandcastle competitions, sand art, food trucks and live entertainment.

The kaupapa is about reconnecting whānau and visitors with the whenua, moana and the stories that make Ōhope special.

A highlight is Papamoa-based sand and land artist Kenrick Smith of Rake Healing, who will create the festival logo on the beach and host free public sand art workshops.

Smith teaches large-scale mandala-style designs that combine creativity with mindfulness.

“These are symmetrical, repeating patterns that are really pleasing to the eye and fun to draw,” he said.

His workshops will run hourly at 12.30pm, 1.30pm and 2.30pm on Saturday, are open to all ages and include all equipment. Smith will also share his personal journey and how sand art supported his mental wellbeing.

During Covid, Smith discovered that daily visits to the beach and drawing in the sand brought a sense of calm.

“I realised if I combine mindfulness with going to the beach and actively relaxing and moving my body it could be quite calming and it kind of grew from this.”

Today, his business Rake Healing creates large-scale beach logos and runs team-building sessions for groups.

“It is outside and nature does most of the work for the people.”

The skies above Ōhope will also be filled with colour, thanks to professional kite flyers Ray and Rosemary McCully of Rotorua, alongside Peter Clark and Perrin Melchior from Kiteworks.

The McCullys’ striking kites feature Māori legends, poppies, and large three-dimensional designs, with displays dependent on wind conditions. A ground display will also be set up.

Visitors are encouraged to bring their own kites or purchase one for $10, with proceeds supporting the Whakatāne Life Saving Club.

“We specialise in unusual kites, but what we fly really depends on the wind,” said Ray McCully.

Life members of the New Zealand Kite Flying Association, the McCullys have been involved in kite festivals for 35 years and have flown kites around the world. Now aged 78 and 80, they still make many of their own kites and say the hobby keeps them active.

“We have travelled the world flying kites, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, Cape Town in South Africa, France. We have friends and contacts all around the world.”

Renowned sandcastle builder Brett Muir of King of the Castle will be demonstrating his craft near the Surf Club and judging the Radio 1XX Sandcastle Competition.

“I will give various tips and techniques for sand sculpting and building sandcastles – how to achieve height without the sand collapsing and how to compact the sand and how to finesse it with stairs and arches and things like that, as well as common tools you can use from around the home for sandcastle building.”

Muir will be building near the Surf Club.

“Beach sand is very organic,” Muir said. It will tell you what it will allow you to do.

“Every castle is a little bit different. I know what features I want to include in the sandcastle, but it is as I am carving it, the castle will tell me where to place an arch or a turret.

“I really like castles, they are a bit like fire, people relate to them. They are in our collective DNA and history. Hundreds of years ago, all our ancestors would have lived within the safety of a castle. We have heard tales of castles and dragons.”

Sunday’s programme includes community yoga at West End, adaptive surfing sessions, and conservation workshops with Halo, along with interactive activities for all ages.

The festival is supported by Trust Horizon, BayTrust, Whakatāne District Council and Radio 1XX, with backing from Ngāti Hokopu and local sponsors.

Ōhope Beach Festival

■ Where: Mahy Reserve, Ōhope Beach
■ When: Saturday, January 31, 10am-3pm and Sunday, February 1, 7am-1pm
■ Online: www.whakatane.com/ohope-beach-festival