Batucada play Open Street Sunday

We run wild through the streets of Wellington!

Oh wait… we do that all the time (run wild through the streets of Wellington, that is…)

Bikes and skateboards, rollerblades, scooters and pedestrians will take over Dixon and Lower Cuba Streets as part of Wellington’s – and the country’s – inaugural Open Street Sunday on 22 September.

The event, being run by Greater Wellington Regional Council in partnership with Living Streets Aotearoa and local businesses, coincides with International Car Free Day.

Open Street Sunday is modelled on Open Streets held around the world, where vehicles are excluded from suburban and CBD streets to enable people to enjoy car-free streets.
Scoop, 13 September 2013

We’d been asked to open Open Street Sunday (for want of a better phrase!) and so an enthusiastic group of us showed up at the appointed hour to play. It had been a big weekend – the massive gig at The Grand was the night before, but you can’t keep a good drummer down, so here we were once again.

The Mayor was there to formally open proceedings – and with scissors in hand to cut the green ribbon stretched across the street, she introduced us as well. Celia, you know I love ya (I always vote for you!) but can you please get our name right? We’re not Wellington Batacuda, really we’re not (although you are by no means the only person that thinks that’s our name).

Once formally introduced to the handful of onlookers, we set off down Dixon Street, playing as we marched. By the time we got to Cuba Street there was quite a crowd, so we paused and played for them for a while, before turning right down Cuba and parading all the way to the end of the street, with some of the crowd following along as we marched.

A quick turn around at the Michael Fowler Centre, and then we marched back up Cuba Street again, finishing our gig with a bit of a show in Cuba Mall.