CREATE MACKENZIE
Just after the national Level 4 lockdown last year, the team behind Mackenzie’s book and art festival came together to create something to look forward to – something that would highlight the amazing Mackenzie landscape and boost their vibrant community.
In an effort to celebrate the things we know and love best – books, art, and people – Create Mackenzie Book and Art Festival was born.
The Mackenzie Region has long been the muse of many writers and artists, home to stargazers and mountaineers, explorers and scientists, authors and artisans.
Given this rich cultural and historical legacy, the festival organisers are proud to have attracted more of New Zealand’s finest poets, artists, sculptors, and authors.
With over 40 events across the length and breadth of the region, Create aims to bring the community together, attracting people from all over the country to the district while having a world-class showcase of our artists and authors.
While Create spans three weekends and makes the most of the unique and expansive geography – with events in Fairlie, Kimbell, Tekapo, and Twizel – it is a boutique festival celebrating land and people. This programme has an exciting mix of free and ticketed events. Some you can do in your own time, and others are guaranteed to sell out, so don’t wait to get tickets!
Take the chance to experience the entire region while you’re there, and take your time and soak it all in. Enjoy the vast plains of the Mackenzie – watch the light change on the Southern Alps as the sun sets and the stars appear as night falls in the International Dark Sky Reserve. Plunge into the glacial lakes and meet other book and art lovers in the fantastic cafés and restaurants.
So spend a spring weekend in the Mackenzie region, where you can experience, engage, and enjoy everything that Create Mackenzie has to offer. The inaugural festival will run from 17 September to 3 October. Grab your tickets now!