The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Marton Harvest Festival gears up for return after 2020 cancellation

Logan Tutty
By Logan Tutty
Multimedia journalist·Whanganui Chronicle·
22 Mar, 2021 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Steam engines are among the many activities and entertainment on show at the Marton Harvest Festival. Photo / Supplied

Steam engines are among the many activities and entertainment on show at the Marton Harvest Festival. Photo / Supplied

The town of Marton is gearing up for one of the biggest events on its calendar.

After being cancelled in 2020 due to the emergence of Covid-19 in New Zealand, the Marton Harvest Festival is all set to go ahead this year.

With more than 160 stalls, live music, displays, a scarecrow trail, home brew competition and more, there is something for the entire family to enjoy.

Event co-ordinator Jen Britton said the town was ready for the event after having it cancelled at the last minute in 2020.

"We're on the home straight now so we're getting more excited."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said it had been a hard 12 months trying to plan the event and not worry about the possibility of another cancellation.

"The constant changing of alert levels causes a bit of anxiety just because you don't know what's going to happen and it can literally change overnight."

Jesse Mulligan will be the face of the day and chefs Tyson Burrows and Grant Kitchen will be going head to head in a cook-off.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It's one of those rare events that caters for everybody."

The event has been moved from Marton Park to Sir James Wilson Park, an area with a bit more space.

Discover more

Marton local to dig deep in heavy metal showdown

16 Mar 04:00 PM

In previous years up to 10,000 people have come through for the day.

"We've switched venues which has given us the ability to have a bit more space in a Covid environment," Britton said.

After securing 100 per cent funding from the Domestic Events Fund, the financial stress has been alleviated significantly, said Britton.

The fund, announced in last year's Government Budget, was established to support the events sector severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It just helps all around. It was really fun trying to keep all of those funds as close to home as possible.

"We're with businesses from within the district or are employed within the district. We just want to create that roll-on effect for the coming years."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Running in conjunction with the Harvest Festival is the Marton Rotary Pedal 4 Pleasure, a biking event raising money for local youth and wellbeing initiatives. More than 180 people took part in the 2019 event.

After a tough 12 months for the events sector, Britton is looking forward to getting all the festivities under way.

"I am. Personally, it has been a bit more chaotic than normal. We're pushing a shop local campaign here in the Rangitikei, so that is going to be quite prominent throughout.

"We have stall holders from Auckland and south of Timaru. It should be a great day."

Subscribe to Premium
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from The Country

The Country

'Rusty but running': 1940s bulldozer still going strong

20 Jun 05:00 PM
The Country

One dead, three injured in Central Otago ATV accident

20 Jun 02:29 AM
The Country

Tonnes of promise: Angus Bull Week set to make millions

20 Jun 12:00 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'Rusty but running': 1940s bulldozer still going strong

'Rusty but running': 1940s bulldozer still going strong

20 Jun 05:00 PM

Robin Hill retired at 58 and began collecting tractors, including a 1940s Fowler VF.

 One dead, three injured in Central Otago ATV accident

One dead, three injured in Central Otago ATV accident

20 Jun 02:29 AM
Tonnes of promise: Angus Bull Week set to make millions

Tonnes of promise: Angus Bull Week set to make millions

20 Jun 12:00 AM
Premium
50 years on the ice: How an Olympic gold medal kickstarted a couple's business

50 years on the ice: How an Olympic gold medal kickstarted a couple's business

19 Jun 11:00 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP