If you go down to the park today

If you went down to the park on Sunday, you were sure of a big surprise - more than 500 people and their teddy bears having a picnic.

Event coordinator of the Teddy Bears Picnic at Isel Park, Nikkie Karki, says the family-friendly event had an eclectic range of food and drink, live entertainment and activities, including some which intertwined with Nelson City Council’s 150-year anniversary.

The antics included a teddy bear school with chalkboards for teddies to learn their ABCs.

Nikkie says the outcomes were family and community connections which had even proved to last long-term following the event.

“Someone came up to me with a picture from nine years ago when I was [dressed as] a bear, and they were like, ‘this is you, and this is my child when she was a baby’, and that was amazing,” she says.

“Generations have had their teddies and shared memories with them, it’s quite a cute little idea, and doing all these little activities with their bears, it’s quite special,” she remarks.

“I love that sort of creative imaginary, and having stuff that’s very old school.”