Support for Westport's Whitebait Festival

Westport's Whitebait Festival 2018

In 2018, Westport's Whitebait Festival underwent major rebranding and realignment from being a community orientated event to exploring being a vehicle for expressing the diversity of "stories" (perspectives) around 'whitebaiting' as a major cultural icon on the West Coast.

“This development was made possible with the financial support of Development West Coast, who saw the potential for the event’s development to provide economic gains through revitalisation of the brand,” says the festival’s event organiser Gary Smith.

“The events objectives in upcoming years is to be a significant part in 'West Coast Whitebait' being sustainable both as a brand and in practice by working in conjunction with the diverse stakeholders in expressing their perspectives and celebrating its cultural heritage."