Maraekākaho Country Market Day draws big crowds and big pumpkins

The winner of the golden pumpkin award for biggest pumpkin at the 2026 Maraekākaho Country Market Day was Hazel Sorensen, 9. Photo / Jane Redward Photography

Big crowds turned up to see some huge pumpkins and a slice of rural life in rural Hawke’s Bay.

Thousands of people came through the gates at the Maraekākaho Country Market Day on Saturday.

One of the fiercest contests at the event, which featured hundreds of stalls, was the BioRich giant pumpkin competition.

The golden pumpkin award went to Hazel Sorensen, 9, who took the crown from her sister Ada Sorensen, 11, who won the competition last year.

Hazel’s pumpkin came in with a width circumference of 189cm and a height circumference of 195cm and took several people to lift.

Another popular game was “Guess the Weight of the Sheep”, which saw contestants try to guess the combined weights of Daisy, Blossom and Sprinkles.

Winner Ryan Paulik guessed 141.22kg, which was very close to the total weight of 141.6kg.

Fun at the 2026 Maraekākaho Country Market Day. Photo / Jane Redward Photography

Other events included the gumboot throw, “Cowpat Bingo”, pony rides, lamb sales and more.

Organiser Charlotte Macphee said it was amazing to pull together with the local community to showcase the town’s rural lifestyle to the region, while raising funds for Maraekākaho School and the Gumboots Early Childhood Centre.

Macphee said she was already looking forward to next year’s event.