Picton Maritime Festival Trust

The volunteer committee of 12,continued goal is very much about bringing families together, in a free, fun environment, celebrating the unique maritime heritage of Picton.

We have established a professionally operated, safe, enjoyable annual event, free for the whole family and we are excited that it has become such a successful festival in it own right, proudly occupying Wellington Anniversary weekend on the calendar. This will be the fifteenth year!

In 2020 we are also commemorating Totaranui Tuia 250 Dual Heritage/Shared Future - consequently for this special occasion this year we will hold the Festival over two days. The Friday event will highlight the talented musicians and artists from the different cultures that now make Marlborough and our surrounds their home.

This will be coupled with an opportunity to experience the superb food and drink from the region with our food/drink matching marquee. This offers the large number of cruise ships visitors in town that day an experience on their doorstep that will be hard to match on their journey. The Saturday will still be your usual free, fun filled event for the family ending with some special entertainment and firework extravaganza.

The PURPOSE of the festival is to raise funds and to create a fundraising platform for other non-profit organisations, thereby providing support for the benefit of deserving community groups, individuals, and projects within the Marlborough Community.

From humble beginnings, we now regularly welcome in excess of 6,000 people from the lower North Island, Canterbury, Nelson/Tasman and Wellington as well as many from overseas; feedback gained indicates New Zealanders are factoring the Picton Maritime Festival into their summer holiday schedules.

We have established a youth Scholarship which will be awarded once again at the 2020 festival. For more information please go to our website pictonmaritimefestival.co.nz

Our Draft Programme consists of Friday - Local entertainment and wine and food matching from 11am to 5pm.

Saturday - Festival opens at 11am to 11pm with Classic launch sail-past, Treasure Island - interactive family area - 11am to 4pm, Artisan and food stalls, Free Clinker boat rides, Raft Races, novelty, mussel float rafts and Build a Waka/Raft over two hours on the foreshore, Entertainment roving and on stage and Fireworks spectacular at the end - approx 10pm.