With just over two weeks until Christmas Day, events across Wairarapa are amping up the festive Christmas cheer – and even the weather is starting to play ball, hinting at the possibility of a stunning summer holiday season. Markets, Christmas parades, and even a circus are all on the agenda this weekend in the lead-up to the end of 2023.
Roll Up! Roll Up!
The Extravaganza Fair will be in Carterton this weekend from 9am to 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday at Carrington Park. The fair has free entry for children and a gold coin entry for adults. The Extravaganza Fair offers both markets and musical entertainment alongside circus acts like acrobatics, juggling, and a daily fire show. The fair will only be in town this weekend before moving on to other North Island engagements, so make sure you don’t miss out.
Extravaganza Fair, Carrington Park, Carterton. Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5pm.
South Wairarapa
Christmas Parade
South Wairarapa residents are spoiled for choice this weekend with two Christmas Parades being held in the district on Saturday. The Featherston parade starts at 12pm and the Martinborough parade at 5pm, giving people enough time to attend both if they were feeling especially festive.
Featherston Christmas Parade will use SH2. SH2 will be closed between SH53 and Fox St on Saturday from midday to 1pm.
With Martinborough’s Christmas Parade, the meeting point for people entering their floats will be on Venice St, Saturday, at 4.30pm [near PG Wrightsons].
Carterton Rotary
Christmas Parade
The Carterton Rotary Christmas Parade will be on Sunday before festivities continue at the second annual A Very Carterton Christmas [AVCC]. The parade – which has a “Music and Magic of Christmas” theme – will begin rolling down High St at 3pm and is set to finish at Carrington Park, so people can continue celebrating at AVCC. The Wairarapa Youth Orchestra will be performing, followed by a quick prizegiving, and a community carols singalong. While the event is free, a ‘Giving Tree’ will be set up for those who can bring non-perishable food items for the Carterton Foodbank. A gold coin donation gets you a DIY pic with Santa and there will be free face painting for kids.
Christmas Parade, High St, Carterton. Sunday, 3pm.
A Very Carterton Christmas, Carrington Park, Carterton. From 3.40 pm to 6pm.
Wednesday jam session
On the second Wednesday of every month, the Kuripuni Sports Bar invites all musicians to tag along to their monthly Tav Jam Night. The night kicks off at 7pm and winds down about 9.30pm. This coming Wednesday’s sesh will be the last one for 2023.
Kuripuni Sports Bar, 458 Queen St, Masterton. Wednesday, 7pm to 9.30pm.
