Jessica Allen, Freelance Journalist Profile

Articles

Surf’s Up " Lakes Weekly Bulletin

4 weeks ago | lwb.co.nz | Jessica Allen

The Aotearoa Surf Film Festival (ASFF) is rolling into Queenstown and Wānaka this week. It’s the 13th annual festival, which celebrates the best of surf culture and cinema, as well as connections to the environment. A curated selection of 12 local and international surf feature films, documentaries and short films will be showcased.
Dancing in the street

1 month ago | lwb.co.nz | Jessica Allen

The streets of Wānaka are about to be taken over by a troupe of inspirational dance luminaries. Tōrua, a show part of this year’s Festival of Colour, has celebrated choreographer and director Malia Johnston bring together seven incredible independent dance artists from across Aotearoa and Australia for the immersive experience. The show is a celebration of movement and place.
The world of wine

2 months ago | lwb.co.nz | Jessica Allen

This week is a big one for local wineries as they host Roam Central 2025, an unforgettable weekend celebrating the best of Central Otago’s wine and food, set among Central’s stunning landscapes. There are a range of events to suit all levels of wine enthusiasts across the jam-packed programme, including opportunities to expand your palette and your knowledge.
Music inspired by art

Jan 22, 2025 | lwb.co.nz | Jessica Allen

Queenstown's renowned producer and director Margaret O’Hanlon has curated Canvas to Composition, a showcase of local musical artists taking place at the end of this month. Each musician has been tasked with composing an original piece or adapting existing works to complement specific visual artworks in Te Atamira’s Lyrics and Lines exhibition.
Sun and supporting local

Nov 11, 2024 | lwb.co.nz | Jessica Allen

Summer is (mostly) on its way and market season is upon us. We’re lucky to live in a town full of creative and talented people, offering artisan wares. Many of the markets in the region offer handmade goods or food straight from the source, meaning you’ll get to pick up something unique. There are a lot of markets in the region, but highlights include the Queenstown Market on the lakefront, which is on every Saturday and a couple of Fridays a month.
Lakes District Museum & Gallery is digitising its archives

Oct 16, 2024 | lwb.co.nz | Jessica Allen

Preservation of collections for museums is crucial. One way this can be achieved is through digitising the archives. The Lakes District Museum & Gallery is undertaking this large task currently with thanks to Impact100 Wakatipu. The archival collection includes photographs, manuscripts, heritage publications, oral history recordings, maps, plans and ephemera.
Supporting young entrepreneurs

Oct 15, 2024 | lwb.co.nz | Jessica Allen

There’s a new market in town and its focus is on supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. Queenstown Youth Market runs around once a month and is organised by MyFundAction Youth Development Centre (MYDC). The next opportunity to support up-and-coming business owners is at the start of November. The team at MYDC focus on three key areas; entrepreneurship, leadership and volunteerism. The first market was held in June and feedback has been good at each event.
Tour the World’s Longest Art Gallery Underneath Stockholm, in Photos

Oct 9, 2024 | thrillist.com | Jessica Allen

This mural in the Solna Centrum station in the Stockholm metro is supposed to look like the evening sun behind a forest. | Photo by Garrett Ziegler for ThrillistThis mural in the Solna Centrum station in the Stockholm metro is supposed to look like the evening sun behind a forest. | Photo by Garrett Ziegler for ThrillistTravelArtThe city’s public transportation system is full of unexpected delights. Here’s how to see them.
Report: Mark Robinson allegedly calls himself ‘black NAZI,’ supports slavery in porn site comments

Sep 19, 2024 | news.yahoo.com | Joe Bruno |Hunter Saenz |Jessica Allen

An explosive story from CNN alleges North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson made dozens of disturbing comments on a porn forum in which he referred to himself as a “black NAZI!” and expressed support for reinstating slavery. According to CNN, Robinson said he liked watching transgender pornography and referred to himself as a “perv” in archived messages. CNN also said Robinson went into detail while describing watching women in gym showers as a 14-year-old.
Chief: 3-year-old dies after ‘egregious’ shooting into home kills great-grandfather

Aug 21, 2024 | yahoo.com | Jessica Allen |Hannah Goetz

Jessica Allen,Hannah GoetzAugust 21, 2024 at 11:03 AM·3 min readA 3-year-old girl shot in Salisbury earlier this month died from her injuries on Monday, police said. Now, law enforcement is urgently building a case and is asking for help identifying suspects. The shooting happened on Aug. 10 at a home on Rowan Mill Road off South Main Street. Police confirmed a man, 80-year-old Charles William, died while sitting in his recliner inside the home.