Events

THIS EVENT IS AT CAPACITY. To be added to the wait list please email: [email protected] Arrowtown doesn’t need an excuse for a leisurely autumn lunch! Enjoy the incredible cuisine and wines that Mora Wines & Artisan Kitchen is renowned for. Book your group in soon so you don’t miss out on this popular festival event. Ticket price includes a glass of bubbles on arrival and a three-course shared platter lunch. *Please advise of dietaries/allergies.

Join QLDC Libraries celebration of local readers and writers with this series of inspiring author talks and creative workshops across the district. Arrowtown Library will be hosting acclaimed author Eva Wong-Ng of Gibbston for a talk in collaboration with the Arrowtown Autumn Festival.  Eva will be reading poetry about the historical Chinese community in Aotearoa New Zealand. Elton Cheung will also demonstrate beautiful Chinese Calligraphy related to Eva’s work. This is a free event but as space is limited, please email [email protected] or call (03) 442 1607 to reserve a spot.

Bring your bean bag and blanket downtown and enjoy a wonderful outdoor movie experience with friends and family. Food and refreshments will be available from 6pm. The movie will start promptly at 6.30pm. This year’s movie is Toy Story! All children under the age of 14 need to be supervised by an adult at this event. Due to limited capacity on Buckingham Green, it is essential to register for this event. If you have registered and your plans change do let us know so we can open the spot for other families. If this event fills up online then there will be no door entries. Gold coin donation. Apologies this event is at capacity. To be added to the wait list email – [email protected]

Amazing entries from around New Zealand vie for the prestige of being selected for the iconic Bayley’s Arrowtown Autumn Festival Art Exhibition, which has been part of the festival for over 30 years. Join us for the presentation of the awards. All works are for sale. The exhibition is open every day from 9.00am – 4:00pm and runs from Friday 26th April – Sunday 9th June. Door sales only for the Opening Night – $10pp includes welcome drink. Art Exhibition entries have now closed. Supported by Bayleys Arrowtown, Print Central, Millbrook Resort, Berry & Co, Arrowtown Gallery, APT Design.

Admire the fine collection of vintage cars parked on Buckingham Street before they head off for their rally. The display will move to Butlers Green from 1:30pm to 4pm as well as join the Bayleys Arrowtown Festival Parade at 2pm.

The Arrowtown Choppers invites you to rediscover and reconnect with the native flora that was once bountiful in the Arrowtown area. Come along and help out with planting at Bush Creek (adjacent to the Chinese Village Car Park). The Arrowtown Choppers have 500 trees to plant and put guards around, the holes will already be dug so there’s plenty of time to fit this in before Market Day. Visit the Postmaster Kitchen + Bar after the planting session for a Arrowtown Choppers Pale Ale where $1 goes towards enhancing the biodiversity in the Bush Creek area.

Come along to Arrowtown Fire Station and get up close and personal to the fire engines and equipment.

Come and walk the great scarecrow trail through the picturesque streets of Arrowtown. Purchase your map ($10) in Buckingham Green and follow the trail, find the scarecrows and guess what they are based on – this year’s theme is “Off to the Movies!” Prizes for the winners.  Maps available Thursday 25 April, 1-4pm; Friday 26 April, 10am-3pm; Saturday 27 April, 9am-12pm. All proceeds will go directly to the local Queenstown Junior Cricket Club.  Businesses are welcome to sponsor a scarecrow for $100 (cash or contra prizes). For further info email: [email protected]           This event is proudly supported by D’or Hairstylists Arrowtown.

Featuring over 100 stalls with some of the best NZ made products ranging from art and crafts, jewellery and clothing to furniture and other curios. Explore the delicious food stalls and let your taste buds guide you amongst the amazing choice of artisan foods. Head down to the kids zone to keep your kids entertained for hours – circus shows, face painting, skate jam, bouncy castles and much more. Sustainability is at the forefront of the festival and we are proud to deliver a single use cup free Market Day. Gold coin donation entry.

Are you interested to see what’s inside the beautiful Arrowtown Masonic Lodge and hear about the Arrowtown Freemasons? This is a rare glimpse to look into a truly special historical building and also ask the mason’s all those questions you want answered! The Arrow Kilwinning Lodge sits amongst mature trees overlooking the small Otago township of Arrowtown, its formal exterior providing no clue to the magnificent interior within. The single storey stone building with its classical façade has been the meeting place for Arrowtown Freemasons since 1888. Concealed behind the restrained exterior, the Lodge Room is decorated with rare hand painted friezes and emblems depicting Masonic symbolism. The Freemasons in Arrowtown held their first meetings in a hotel in the late 1870s and the lodge still operates today.

This show is presented by the Circus Space Youth Group from Central Otago. These troops will blow your mind with their skills on contortion, hand-balancing and a high energy aerial display on the Fabric, Cloudswing, Triple Trapeze and more! Woven together into a dynamic theatrical performance, the Youth Group bring you: “It’s time for Monopoly.” The show will be held 10:30-11am then repeated at 12-12:30pm. No need to register, just turn up and enjoy the show!