It! Bay of Islands Food and Wine Festival cancelled

The festival usually attracts huge crowds that are a mix of foodies, wine enthusiasts, and music lovers. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Organisers of the popular It! Bay of Islands Food and Wine Festival have made the tough call to cancel this year's event.

Festival-goers were destined to fill the Paihia Village Green this Saturday to enjoy the boutique occasion - dubbed by many as "the best mini-festival of the north".

Not only is the promise of mouth-watering food and award-winning vineyards no more but talented musicians - such as White Chapel Jak, Hipstamatics, and Orongo Bay Garage Band - will no longer grace the stage.

An email went out to ticket holders yesterday letting them know the tough call made by the festival committee.

"We are really devastated to be bringing this news to you. We have had to make the heartbreaking and very difficult decision to cancel the event on the 1st Oct 2022.

"This is due to the severe weather conditions forecast, it poses a risk to the safety of festival goers/vendors/contractors/staff."

MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for Northland with downpours expected to hit around 3am on Saturday and stretch all the way into the early hours of Sunday. Northeasterlies were forecast to increase in intensity come Saturday evening.

"We apologise for this, but the weather is out of [our] control," festival organisers wrote.

"After two years of having to cancel the event due to Covid, we had hoped the weather would be on our side."

People with tickets already purchased will be refunded by the provider, Eventfinda.

For those that have tickets already Eventfinda is refunding them at face value. Refunds can take between three to five working days.

Organisers thanked the public for the support before signing off with a vow to be back in 2023.