Things to do & Festivals Canterbury

Each year the Canterbury communities host a variety of Festivals & Lifestyle Events celebrating the regions cultural diversity and traditions. Here is a comprehensive list of the Canterbury Festivals…

Canterbury Festivals

Festival Name	Date	Category
Christmas in the Park	30 Nov	Music
Timaru Festival of Roses	29 Nov – 1 Dec	Garden
Mandeville Craft Festival	1 Dec	Art/craft
South Island Wine & Food Festival	7 Dec	Food
Festival of Cycling	7 – 8 Dec	Active
Waimate Strawberry Fare	14 Dec	Entertainment
Twisted Frequency	30 Dec – 2 Jan	Music
Akaroa Music Festival	10 – 26 Jan	Music
World Buskers Festival	16 – 26 Jan	Music
Twizel Salmon and Wine Festival	25 Jan	Music/food
South Canterbury Wine & Food Festival	2 Feb	Food/wine
NZ Sandcastle competition	8 Feb	Sand sculptures
Ellerslie International Flower Show	26 Feb – 2 Mar	Gardens/flowers
The Little River Drum Festival	1 – 2 Mar	Music
Waipara Wine & Food Festival	23 Mar	Food/wine/music
The Great Kiwi Beer Festival	29 Mar	Beer
Food Show	4 – 6 Apr	Food/wine
Akaroa Harvest Festival	12 Apr	Food/wine
Little River Country Bumpkin Giant Pumpkin Festival	25 Apr	Pumpkin
Wheels Week	3 – 18 May	Wheels
IceFest	27 Sep – 12 Oct	Educational

For other Regional New Zealand Festivals

Auckland Festivals	Bay of Plenty Festivals
Canterbury Festivals	Hawke’s Bay Festivals
Marlborough Festivals	Manawatu Festivals
Northland Festivals	Queenstown / Otago Festivals
Southland Festivals	Tasman / Nelson Festivals
Taranaki Festivals	Waikato Festivals
Wellington Festivals	West Coast Festivals

Take a look at the Activities & Excursions available in Christchurch

If a Canterbury festival coincides with you visiting the area or you would like to incorporate a festival or event into a self-drive holiday or a privately guided tour of New Zealand, then please feel free to contact First Light Travel – We would love to help.