Savour the saviour

Andrew Board

Marlborough’s summer festival season will still have plenty to savour, with Savour in the Park returning in an expanded format to help fill the gap left by the postponed Marlborough Wine & Food Festival.

Pure Events Marlborough has confirmed the popular event will be held on Saturday, 13 February at Churchill Glade in Pollard Park, bringing together food, beverages and live entertainment for locals and visitors.

Events manager Katrina Lange-Cairns says the organisation was able to move quickly after learning the region’s flagship wine festival would not be held.

“Festivals of this scale require significant financial investment and place considerable demands on staff who in this case currently need to prioritise other forms of support for their members,” Katrina says.

“With our experience delivering successful events over many years and an established event concept already in place, we were able to step in quickly to help fill the gap.”

Katrina says the decision was driven by a desire to support the wider region.

“We were really sad for the region that this iconic event had to be put on hold, but it created a natural opportunity for Savour in the Park,” she says.

“We already had the infrastructure, the industry connections and a well-established event ready to go. Without that, there is no way we could have delivered something of this scale in such a short timeframe.”

Pure Events Marlborough says it understands Wine Marlborough’s decision and hopes the event will provide an alternative regional celebration while helping businesses that traditionally benefit from festival visitors.

Organisers are already working with accommodation providers and tourism operators to maintain visitor bookings and encourage people to extend their stay in Marlborough.

Discussions are also under way with wineries and tourism organisations to promote cellar door experiences before and after the event.

“We want to help the wine industry as much as possible and encourage people to explore more of what Marlborough has to offer,” Katrina says.

The event will feature a wide range of food and beverage vendors, live bands and a headline act yet to be announced.

Katrina says feedback from businesses and the public has been overwhelmingly positive.

“Everyone has been asking when Savour in the Park is coming back. People love the event and the response since announcing its return has been incredible.”

Organisers are aiming for attendance of about 2,500 people, with early ticket demand expected to be strong.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, 18 September through Eventfinda.

Event details
Event: Savour in the Park
Date: Saturday, 13 February
Location: Churchill Glade, Pollard Park
Website: www.savourmarlborough.co.nz