Major community events
These are events in Motueka that are held regularly and involve a wide cross-section of people. Information within each event may include records of past events and/or plans for the next one, depending on the time of the year right now and when the event took place or will take place.
Arts Council Winter Workshop
Every year the Motueka Arts Council run a series of arts-related workshops during the winter months, usually between mid-July and September. It's an opportunity to learn new skills while helping the winter days to hurry past faster. Currently we are displaying the calendar of events of the 2016 year. Programme & registration forms »
Welcome to the Godwits
Motueka celebrates the return of the godwits from Alaska, usually late in September. Every year the birds come to the Motueka Sandspit and Estuary to spend the summer in our area.
A&P Show
The A&P Association runs it annual show during the first weekend of December each year, with the day for the public being Sunday. The event showcases everything from preserves and cheeses, baking and handcrafts, through to goats, poultry and equestrian. Children and adults alike enjoy the animal nursery, original Merry-Go-Round, and the numerous entertainment and trade sites. Vintage machinery, dog trials, highland dancing all feature as popular attractions.
Information on the 2014 show »
Starlight Parade
The Starlight Parade will be held in 2016 on the Friday December 2nd. The parade begins at SportsPark Motueka and runs north along Talbot Street, turning into Pah Street and then south down High Street to the New World carpark. The event is organised and supported by Our Town Motueka, with the help of several sponsoring businesses. View photos from the 2010 event, the 2011 event, the 2012 event, and the 2013 event.
Christmas in the Park
The most recent incarnation of this Christmas Carols event began in 2012, run superbly by the Church of Christ with lots of business support led by Birdhurst, and attended by many hundred people. It will continue to be presented in Decks Reserve on the Friday before Christmas. A usual feature is Santa arriving by helicopter. Read about the 2012 event here.
Motueka Volunteers Awards
This event began in 2013. It is organised by Vision Motueka, and celebrates Motueka's own volunteers. People active in volunteering are nominated by the groups within which they work, and ten are chosen to receive small awards in the Sunday afternoon ceremony in Memorial Hall. The event is normally held in October, and in 2016 will be on October 9th. Read about the 2013 event here.
Community Christmas Dinner
St Andrews Uniting Church and Vision Motueka organise this annual event, held on Christmas Day from midday into the afternoon. It is provided mainly for people who would otherwise probably spend Christmas on their own, and families who find it difficult to afford a Christmas dinner of their own. The diners are served by a large team of volunteers. Read about the 2013 event here.
