Matariki whānau night (kai, stars and stalls) checklist: before, on the day and after

Book the date on your own grounds or hall so nothing else clashes.
Get the landowner’s permission in writing.
Read the food-safety rules for fundraising sales and plan safe handling.The rules
Write a one-page safety plan: hazards, who is in charge, first aid, what to do if it rains.
Check your group’s insurance covers this.
Pick a date near the public holiday: Friday 10 July 2026 and Friday 25 June 2027 (Te Papa).
Talk early with your local iwi, marae, kaumātua or Māori staff about how the night should open and close, and offer koha for their time.
Pre-sell hāngī or soup through your school payment system or a ticketing page, with a firm order deadline.
Ask your local astronomical society for volunteers with telescopes; Wellington Astronomical Society supported Marsden School's night (Marsden School).
Plan a programme: karakia or welcome, kapa haka, hāngī served, then stars and a lantern walk.
Add a small market and hot drinks stall for extra income.
Set a wet-weather plan (indoor hall, talk and photos instead of telescopes) and a postponement date.

Brief the helpers: who does what, when, and where the cash box and first aid kit are.
Count the float with two people before you open, and write the total down.
Serve and hand out pre-orders from one clearly signed table; resell uncollected meals after a set time, as Victory did (Humanitix).
Close with a moment to remember people who died in the past year, a common Matariki theme (Te Papa).

Matariki whānau night (kai, stars and stalls): checklist