03/06/2026
Hi team,
We have spent time reviewing where things are at for this year’s Wānaka Fête, and after a lot of consideration we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2026 event.
We absolutely don’t see this as the end of the fête altogether, and our hope is to take a breath this year and look to return in 2027. However, stallholder applications are well behind where they were at the same stage last year, and we’re also hearing from many stallholders that the increasing cost of product, travel and being away from their businesses is making attending events like ours more challenging.
Alongside that, we are also balancing two full-time jobs, the Hanmer Springs Fête, and five children between us - so we need to make a decision that is sustainable for us, our families, and the event long term.
We know how much work goes into preparing for an event, from stock and travel through to staffing, accommodation and logistics so we wanted to let you know as early as we could.
For those who have already applied, we’ll roll all 2026 applications over to 2027. Closer to the time, we’ll make contact to check whether you’d like to keep your application in place, rather than making you fill out the form again.
We are incredibly grateful for the support you have shown Wānaka Fête over the last couple of years. It has meant so much to us to have such an incredible mix of businesses help bring the event to life, and we don’t take that support for granted. Some of you, we look forward to seeing you in Hanmer Springs later this year.
This is a pause rather than a goodbye, and we really hope to be back in 2027.
Warmest,�Abby & Cath
