Piper Blaster

Piper Blaster is a drag queen from Te Awamutu, at the heart of the Waipā district, and a local performer with a flair for the theatrical. She is the founder of Haus of Blaster, under whose banner she produced the Te Awamutu Rose Ball — an 18th-century-inspired event held at the Waipā Workingmen's Club in partnership with Waipā Creative Communities. Inspired by Marie Antoinette and a costumiers ball she attended in Rotorua, Piper brought together drag performers from across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions for a night of fancy dress and camp shenanigans. "My aim is to create an annual event that everyone can attend and have a good time," she says.