Pioneer Village Kaikohe

06/10/2025

📣 PRESS RELEASE – Pioneer Village Halloween Event 2025
Date: Tuesday, 7 October 2025
From: Pioneer Village Kaikohe Operations Team

Subject: Halloween at Pioneer Village – Community Support Needed or Event Will Be Cancelled

To our wonderful community,

Each year, Pioneer Village has proudly hosted a fun-filled Halloween event that brings families together for an evening of spooky excitement, themed buildings, treats, and community spirit. It’s one of our favourite events to run, and we know many of you look forward to it just as much as we do.

Unfortunately, this year’s event is at risk of not going ahead.

Despite reaching out to local schools and community groups earlier in the year to invite participation, we have received no responses. Many of our usual supporters are unavailable due to other commitments, and our small team of dedicated volunteers simply does not have the capacity to deliver the Halloween experience you’ve come to enjoy.

Halloween is just 23 days away, and we need your help.

To make this event happen, we need:
- 10 groups or 20 individuals to take on a building, decorate it to a Halloween theme, and provide treats or tricks.

- Each building requires 2 characters to host for the 2-hour event duration.

- We recommend preparing 1,000 treats per building.

- Set-up can be done on Thursday 30th or Friday 31st October.

- Entry for treaters will remain at $5.00, which goes directly back into the upkeep and development of the Village.

We’re also looking for:
- A DJ willing to entertain from **5pm–7pm** (volunteer basis).
- Food stall holders – free to set up inside the Village. A great chance to serve dinner to families enjoying the evening.

Please remember: this is a family event, not a drop-and-run. We ask all attendees to bring their best manners and community spirit.

If we receive enough confirmed support by Monday 13th October, we will proceed with the event. If not, we will sadly have to cancel.

We truly love hosting Halloween at Pioneer Village, but we cannot do it alone. Let’s keep the tradition alive we need you.

Thank you in advance,
Pioneer Village Kaikohe Operations Team

24/09/2025

📣 Important Notice:
Temporary Closure - Friday 26th September

Pioneer Village Kaikohe will be closed this Friday, 26th September for our annual borer treatment.

🪲 What is borer treatment?
Borer are wood-boring insects that can cause serious damage to timber structures and heritage collections. Their larvae tunnel through wood, weakening buildings and artifacts over time.

🏠 Why are we doing this?
This treatment is a vital part of our preservation efforts. It helps protect our historic buildings and valuable collections from long-term damage, ensuring they remain safe and intact for future generations to enjoy.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we carry out this important work. The Village will reopen as usual on Monday.

Ngā mihi nui,
The Pioneer Village Kaikohe Team

24/09/2025

So far Its has been a remarkable month here at the village.

The Kaikohe Community Arts Council hosted an exciting sculpture display throughout the village, with many pieces still on display for last weeks Wild West - featuring the creative talents of local artists, schools, and community members.

The art visit by students from Pakaraka School and Taumarere Kura was a highlight of the event.

Gratitude is expressed to the Kaikohe Community Arts Council for bringing this outstanding art into the village. Looking forward to the next one🤩

23/09/2025

🤠🌞 Wild West Fun at the Village! 🌞🤠
A massive THANK YOU to our amazing village volunteers, Max and the band for the fantastic entertainment, and Terry from the Kaikohe Bowling Club for providing the perfect saloon setting! 🎶🍻
To all our wonderful stall holders — your creativity and energy brought the event to life. And to our incredible Kaikohe community, thank you for showing up and making the day truly special. Your support means the world to us! 💛
The weather was absolutely perfect, and the Wild West spirit was alive and kicking all day long. We couldn’t have asked for a better celebration!

15/09/2025

15/09/2025

🎉 Saddle up for a Wild West Adventure! 🐎
Join us at Pioneer Village Kaikohe for a fun-filled afternoon of heritage, entertainment, and family activities!
🕐 Demonstrations & Displays Schedule:
🔨 1:00 PM – Blacksmith in Action
⚙️ 1:30 PM – Stationary Engine Display
🚒 2:00 PM – Historic Fire Engine Demo
🐴 2:30 PM – Tackhouse & Saddlery Talk
💃 3:00 PM – Line Dancers Performance
⚙️ 3:30 PM – Stationary Engine Display
and maybe ....... couple of surprises
🎶 PLUS all-day fun for the whole family!
✨ Live Entertainment
🎈 Children’s Activity Zone
🧸 Free Play Area

Bring the whole whānau and enjoy a day of history, fun, and Wild West magic! 🤠
Early bird tickets available online :
https://events.humanitix.com/wild-wild-west-carnival-and-gala

or grab yours at the station house this week🥳

Gate sales are available on the day-
gate 1 eftpos available
gate 2 cash only

10/09/2025

Get in quick tickets are selling fast!!

05/09/2025

EARLY BIRD TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Don’t miss out! Get your Wild WILD West tickets at a special discounted price:
🟡 Adults: $15
🟡 Youth (5–16): $10
🟡 Under 5s: FREE
💥 Live entertainment
💥 Historical displays
💥 Cowboy games, food alley & more
https://events.humanitix.com/wild-wild-west-carnival-and-gala

Limited early birds available !
🐴🔥

04/09/2025

We Need Local Legends!
Want to be part of something unforgettable? We’re looking for volunteers to help bring the Wild WILD West to life!
🎯 Event stewards
🎯 Activity helpers
🎯 Village display hosts
🎯 Costumed characters & more
If you’ve got skills, enthusiasm, or just love a good cowboy hat—we’d love to hear from you.

03/09/2025

The Harold Building – Where the Past Was Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

Step inside the Harold Building and you’ll find more than walls—you’ll find whispers of Kaikohe’s civic and medical history. Originally built around 1899–1900, this humble structure once served as a lawyer’s office and later as the town council chambers. Decisions were made here. Lives were documented. Futures were shaped.

Today, it houses a fascinating collection of early medical and dental equipment, including a foot-pedal-powered drill that makes you grateful for modern dentistry!
You’ll also spot baby weighing scales from the Plunket Society and pharmacy bottles that once lined the shelves of Kaikohe’s early chemists.

It’s a place where law met life, and where community care began. Come explore the Harold Building and discover the quiet power of paperwork, prescriptions, and public service.

02/09/2025

George Frederick Dickeson – Merchant of Momentum
Before Kaikohe had streets, it had stories—and George Frederick Dickeson was writing them in ink, gum, and grit. A gum buyer, wool broker, merchant, and auctioneer, Mr. Dickeson helped shape the commercial heartbeat of early Kaikohe.

He was one of the township’s original founders, bringing trade, structure, and opportunity to a growing community.
In 1893, the funeral of his wife drew over 250 mourners—150 Europeans and 100 Māori—an extraordinary show of unity and respect in the Bay of Islands.
His son Fran was the first European child born in Kaikohe.
Mr. Dickeson’s legacy isn’t just in business—it’s in the relationships, resilience, and reverence that helped build Kaikohe.