Hawke’s Bay Earthquake leveled central Napier within 2.5 minutes on February 3, 1931. Near the anniversary of this devastation, Napier hosts The Art Deco Festival celebrating its rebirth. Sponsored by the Art Deco Trust, the five-day annual event features theme parties like flappers, prohibition, Charleston, Great Gatsby plus a masquerade ball. For food, you can sign up for a beach banquet, candlelight prison dinner or a Great Depression meal. Always sold out is Death by Chocolate. The visual treat on the sidewalks is seeing people in 1930s clothing plus watching impeccable era autos driving in the streets.
