OUR STORY
It begins with an earthquake….
The Hurunui Garden Festival was launched early in 2018 by a group of local garden owners who wanted to assist with the Hurunui District’s recovery from the devastating Waiau earthquake of November 2016.
We wanted to open gardens and invite visitors, particularly from outside the district, to spend a weekend enjoying our gardens, our wineries, our fabulous eateries, shops, adventure attractions and everything else about the Hurunui District.
We also wanted to create opportunities and benefits for businesses and residents across the district, to help repair the terrible scars from that earthquake.
Since then, the festival has become not just a celebration of inspirational gardens, but of a unique hidden gem, the Hurunui region.
It is all out there for you to discover.
One of the special things about our festival is that we are a self-drive festival, leaving you free to plan your adventure in any way you want, including wineries, cafes, bike trails, mountain walks. Begin planning your Hurunui adventure today!
Our hard working committee: a small but talented team who can turn their hand to pretty much anything!
From left to right: Jenny Cooper, Doreen Dryden, Michelle Holland, Vicki Colette, Meg McFarlane (chair) and Garry Jackson.
And, of course, the people not shown here are the wonderful garden owners and their volunteer community who make it all happen on the ground.
Apart from the hard work keeping the gardens up to scratch, this amazing group gives countless hours during the festival, from warmly welcoming visitors at each garden gate to hosting workshops, manning stalls, feeding hungry visitors, topping up kettles, baking, serving, mowing lawns and answering a million questions. This is truly a community festival and we salute every one of you!