A Whānau Fun Day is scheduled for this Saturday to celebrate Flaxmere Park being named New Zealand’s most Active Park of the Year.

The morning's festivities recognise Recreation Aoteaora's decision in June to bestow the title on Flaxmere Park, with the award judges impressed with the huge range of opportunities for physical and social activity, saying “every part of the park, from the cycleways to the splashpad, is constantly in use”.

The park incorporates adult exercise equipment, a new playground, a nine-hole disc golf course and an outdoor events area that hosts a raft of community events including Hawke’s Bay’s biggest Matariki Festival.

The park also boasts a traditional ki-o-rahi field, New Zealand's first public field at the time of instalation.

At weekends, the sportsgrounds play host to a range of codes, and more than 100 parkrunners take advantage of the five-kilometre asphalt track, which is also used by anyone from solo runners to cyclists and walkers every day.

To start off the celebration, people are invited to join the 8am Parkrun, after which a range of family games will commence, including; ki-o-rahi, gutterboard, disc golf, and tug-o-war.

The morning will also include entertainment, stalls and food trucks.

Hastings councillors Henare O’Keefe and Peleti Oli encourage everyone to come along and join in the celebrations.

“There will be a whole host of things happening – singing, dancing and a whole lot of eating – come on down!” said Mr O’Keefe.

The event will run until 12pm and all the activities are free.

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