500 bands to be at first city celebrating
2000
By Kristopher Hanson
Daily Forty-Niner
While Gisborne, New Zealand, does not have
the distinction of being New Year's Eve party central, the people of this
small island nation will be the first to see the sun rise on Jan. 1, 2000.
The city of Gisborne, just west of the
International Dateline in the South Pacific, has planned dozens of events
ranging from a four-week youth rally to a wine festival.
This city of 30,000 residents on New Zealand's
eastern coast has set up Web sites, newsletters and hotlines all devoted
to the distinction of being "the first to see the light."
And while U.S. officials will be closely
watching nearby Australia to detect any Y2K problems before dawn, many
natives of Gisborne will be ushering in the new year at "Tuia 2000 -- Millennium
City Festival."
The Tuia 2000 Festival is a month-long
festival featuring 500 performances from opera, jazz and hard rock musical
groups. Ten stages will be set up to accommodate these bands as well as
comedic and cultural groups.
A tile wall will be unveiled featuring
more than 8,000 self portraits of children from around the world and a
flotilla of tall ships will gather in the city's harbor.
The religiously devoted have also planned
a celebration in Gisborne called "Servant 2000." The convention will include
concerts and a celebration of the past 2,000 years.
The New Zealand government has designated
a special spot on the top of Mt. Hikurangi for 2,500 members of the Ngati
Porou tribe to ring in the new millennium. Their celebration will involve
traditional Maori songs, lullabies and dances. |
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