Waimate Summer Folk Festival - Waitangi weekend Gunn's Bush

This year Waitangi day falls on a Thursday, so the “formal” festival will run from noon on Thursday 6th to noon on Sunday 9th where we need to be packed up and left the site.

Our guests this year are the duo Blue Sea Above; Dean Hollebon and Tom Bolton who first played together at a previous Waimate Festival and have gone on to create a fascinating fusion of original folk and violin.

Our other guests are the famous (infamous?) Barreltones. Master musicians Read Hudson, Steve Barkman, Barry Macdonald and Adrian Higgins have been persuaded to reunite for the festival and treat us to their lively mix of folk, country, and blues.

There will also be jam sessions, black board concerts, humour and poetry events as well as blind dates (musical ones, that is) and a water fight. Pretty much anyone that wants to get on stage can do so at some point over the weekend. ​Take your spot as our special guest! Bring an act or a poem prepared as a group or solo and fill a short slot, or devise something with others at the festival.
A great way of getting involved and meeting people is to put your name into the hat for the blind date concert.
It's also fine to enjoy the music from the comfort of the audience. The choir, beginners jam and evening play-arounds are open to everyone.

You can stay onsite, either in bunk rooms, or camping, there are limited powered sites, or you could take the option to stay at one of the local accommodation providers. Remember to bring your own bedding.
This rural site has two wings of bunk rooms attached to a central hall and plenty of green space for parking up accommodation vehicles and for camping in tents. There is a shared kitchen and 2 shower / toilet blocks.
Most of the scheduled festival happens in the main hall where we can have a log fire for heating if needed.

Waimate is rural town in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is situated inland from the eastern coast of the South Island, 45.7km south of Timaru, 20km north of the Waitaki River and 47.5km north of Oamaru. There are shops in the Waimate township including a supermarket, cafes and takeaways.

You need to bring your own food for self-catering. There is a good kitchen with crockery, cutlery, ovens, microwaves, fridges and pots and pans. You can bring your own as needed, especially if you have a special cup/wine glass etc.

This is a small festival with a site limit, so please book early to ensure a spot. You can book to attend the whole weekend, staying onsite or offsite.