Invercargill's Rotary Family Halloween Party returns to the Stumpery in Queens Park on Saturday, a year after a destructive storm tore through the park and forced the event to be called off.
The combined Invercargill Rotary Clubs will run the free party from 3pm to 6pm on Saturday 31 October. Organisers have opted for an afternoon session because Halloween falls on a weekend this year.
The party has been held at the same spot in Queens Park for several years and drew more than 800 people when it last ran, in 2024. It did not go ahead in 2025 after the October windstorm damaged large parts of the park.
Children and families can expect a treasure hunt, roll the skulls, art and painting activities, a corn bag slide, a what's-in-the-box challenge, a sensory trail and balloon popping. A free barbecue will be running throughout.
The Stumpery can be reached from Gala Street or Queens Drive, with parking available on Gala Street and in the Queens Park car parks.
A park still recovering
The storm that swept Southland on 23 October 2025 caused what has been described as widespread devastation in Queens Park, with repairs taking months. Across Invercargill the event caused an estimated $2.39 million in damage to infrastructure and property, and trees of every size were uprooted across the province.
For the Rotary clubs, the return of the Halloween party to the park is a small sign of normality a year on.
The anniversary has also seen the region's storm recovery funding change focus. The Southland Mayoral Relief Fund, which has closed to individual and business hardship applications, is now offering preparedness grants of between $500 and $5,000 to community groups, iwi organisations and not-for-profits in the Invercargill, Southland and Gore council areas.
Applications opened on 12 October and close on 6 November, with the three mayors making the final funding decisions. Eligible projects include community first aid training, generator connections and water storage for community hubs, and local communication systems.
Mayoral Relief Forum chair Rob Scott, the Southland District mayor, said the severe weather had affected communities across the region and shown how important it was to be prepared.
The Halloween party is free and is pitched at younger children and their families.
