January
Blues, Brews & BBQ’s
Hawke’s Bay
January
The festival features various stalls of brews, cider, wine and a selection of superb food. As part of your entry you are given a souvenir glass, which can be used to sample the range of boutique beers.
February
Blues, Brews, and BBQs
Marlborough
First Saturday in February
Live bands play throughout the day giving continuous Blues, and Rhythm and Blues music. A variety of high quality food is available, BBQ treats include wild pork, local seafood, and ostrich. More than 20 breweries from throughout NZ attending, offering more than 70 beers and a small selection of wines to sample.
The Marlborough Wine Festival
Marlborough
Second Saturday in February
NZ’s premier food and wine experience. Sample the region’s finest wines and stunning local gourmet foods, while experiencing fantastic entertainment in a central location among the vines. The festival showcases around 300 wines from over 60 wineries and over 30 food stalls.
Geon Art Deco Weekend
Hawke’s Bay
February
Napier’s Art Deco Weekend is held every year on the third week of February. Join the hectic programme and enjoy wining, dining, jazz, dancing, film, theatre, house tours, vintage cars, plane rides, and much, much more.
Mission Estate Winery Concert
Hawke’s Bay
February
A key event on any concert goer's calendar, this annual event has seen artists such as Sting, Rod Stewart, Cliff Richards and Dionne Warwick strutting thier moves across the large outdoor stage.
The New Zealand International Arts Festival
Wellington
February – March
One of the world's great festival cities, festival goers converge on Wellington to enjoy the best music, theatre, dance, literature and visual arts from New Zealand and the world. The festival is New Zealand's premier and largest festival event, includes many free events and is held every second year throughout the region.
March
Horse of the Year
Hawke’s Bay
March
One of the largest and most prestigious annual equestrian events in the Southern Hemisphere. The event culminates with the show's ultimate crown - the Bell Tea Olympic Cup.
Triple Peaks Challenge
Hawke’s Bay
Third weekend in March
A classic duathlon race involving biking and running. Traversing across some of Hawke's Bay's more rugged terrain participants can be in teams or try the ultimate challenge - go solo.
CJ Pask Great Long Lunch
Hawke’s Bay
First Sunday of March
Dine on the region’s finest cuisine in a magical seaside setting, whilst sipping award-winning Hawke’s Bay wine from CJ Pask Winery. This unique alfresco dining experience accommodates 800 guests at a table nearly 300 metres long.
Havelock Mussel Festival
Marlborough
Mid March
Come and join the celebration of the
Greenshell™ Mussel industry and enjoy the tastes, sights and sounds available in Havelock – the home of the Greenshell Mussel.
Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival
Wairarapa
March
Fine local wines, food and music at a beautiful riverside location.
Martinborough Round the Vines
Marlborough
Mid March
Run or walk around Martinborough’s scenic vineyards.
April
Classic Fighters
Marlborough
Easter weekend, odd numbered years
Aircraft are displayed as part of a theatrical spectacle, where battle scenes are re-enacted on the ground as well as in the air. Prepare for a spectacular weekend of fun.
Forrest Estate Grape Ride
Marlborough
April
The South Island’s largest cycling event, attracting serious cyclists and recreational riders alike for a 101km circuit through some of the most stunning scenery NZ has
to offer.
May
The Food Show
Wellington
May
Delight in a vast range of specialty products from New Zealand and beyond. There’s great coffee, organic meats, boutique wine, cheeses, chutneys and cookware to consider. Venison and seafood delicacies will be there for you to savour too, along with confectionery and international delicacies. Celebrity chefs, food writers and industry experts will share their secrets, so we’re sure there will be something in these three-day extravaganzas that will tickle
your tastebuds.
June
Hawke’s Bay Winemakers
Charity Auction
Hawke's Bay
First Sunday in June
This is New Zealand’s oldest “Charity Wine Auction.” For the past 15 years it has proudly supported Cranford Hospice with more than 1 million dollars in proceeds from the donation of Hawke’s Bay very best wines. Each year the lots get bigger and better and people come from further afield to support this worthy cause. Giving, as practiced by the good Vintners, sommeliers, chefs, artist and supporters of this event, it is a celebration of themselves and the community. The wines are the very finest their makers can produce, the art, passion and knowledge infused into every drop.
Hawke’s Bay Matariki Festival
Hawke's Bay
June to July
Celebrate the Maori New Year, a seasonal occasion to mark the end of harvest and a time for reflection and remembrance.
Hawke’s Bay Hot Red
Hawke's Bay
June
Meet the winemakers and taste the wines from Hawke's Bay at the annual wine expo. Showcasing over 100 of the best selected wines from over 20 wineries.
July
Wellington Film Festival
Wellington
July/August
New Zealand's premium movie- going event in the city dubbed 'Wellywood'. The Festival has a long tradition of supporting New Zealand filmmakers. The main venue is the magnificent Embassy Theatre and the Festival has played a major role in the theatre's rehabilitation and continuing refurbishment.
DIY Deco Weekend
Hawke’s Bay
July
A mid-winter celebration of the Art Deco Style in Napier New Zealand. A series of events that centre around dressing in the style of the 1920’s and 1930’s, jazz music, vintage cars, and a city-wide immersion in the style that made those days so flamboyant. It is a wonderful, friendly, and fun way to lose yourself for a couple of mid-winter days.
August
VISA Wellington on a Plate
Wellington
August
A foodie fortnight in the culinary capital where Wellington's finest eateries offer Festival Events while DINE Wellington offers diners a tasty line-up of set menu deals and dinner offers. www.wellingtononaplate.com
Beervana
Wellington
August
Wellington is home to the annual celebration of beer enlightenment, Beervana is a two-day festival dedicated to brewing. Locals reckon there are more craft beers per capita in Wellington than New York and pretty much most other places. www.beervana.co.nz
September
Brancott Estate World of WearableArt Awards Show
Wellington
September – October
Step into a world where art and the human form combine, where dance, music and lighting tell a story of the body as a canvas; where the lines of fashion and art blur and merge as one… A Montana WOW® Awards Show can be difficult to describe, hard to define and utterly impossible to forget. A montage of theatre, dance, colour, movement and art, simply put, the Montana WOW® Awards Shows are theatrical spectaculars.
Hawke's Bay Regional Signature Dish
Hawke's Bay
September - October
Hawke's Bay Chefs use local food and beverages to create a Signature Dish featuring in restaurants around the region.
Cellar Dwellers
Wairarapa
Month of September
Taste new releases and aged wines, enjoy art, music and gourmet events around Martinborough’s vineyards throughout the month.
Central Hawke’s Bay – The Festival
Hawke's Bay
September
A festival of the arts - traditional art, garden art, digital art, art workshops and seminars, designer jewellery and much more.
October
Spring Racing Carnival
Hawke’s Bay
First Saturday of October
The biggest day on the Hawke's Bay racing calendar.
The Marlborough Wine Weekend
Marlborough
Late October odd numbered years Three days of new release tastings, tours and one-of-a
kind meals.
November
Toast Martinborough
Wairarapa
Third Sunday in November
Each year, the population of Martinborough increases tenfold as wine and food lovers from throughout the country fill the small Wairarapa town to celebrate the release of the new vintage and to enjoy New Zealand’s premium wine, food and music festival.
Hunters Garden Marlborough
November
Early November Workshops featuring national and international experts, fully escorted tours to unique, very special gardens on the grape-growing plains of Marlborough, along the Pacific Coast and within the Marlborough Sounds. Relaxing and fun social functions and the best Garden Fete in NZ.
New Zealand Olive Festival
Hawke's Bay
November
Olives, oils, wine, gourmet food products aplenty from Hawke's Bay and around the country.
December
Details coming soon
