A convoy of motor homes is expected to roll into Brightwater for this year’s Nelson Wine and Food Festival, to be held at the Middle-Earth Vineyard next Sunday.
The Rotary Club of Richmond fund-raiser has always been a popular day out for foodies, wine and beer drinkers and families, with around 3000 people attending the annual event.
But this year organisers are preparing for an invasion of motor homes with hundreds of New Zealand Motor Home Association members already in the Nelson and Tasman region for two national rallies.
Around 1200 people in 630 motor homes attended the Music in the Mountains Rally in Tapawera at Nelson Anniversary Weekend and many of those are staying in the region for the national motor home rally at the Richmond A & P Showgrounds from February 23-27.
And Richmond Rotary Club members Pete Glue and Kevin Gear say they have had a flood of inquiries from the motor home owners about the wine and food festival. “I’ve already had about 50 calls from the motor home people so we could get quite a few of them.” Pete says.
Pete says they have plans in place to cater for the motor home owners, including creating a motor home-only parking area at the Middle-Earth Vineyard. The motor homes will also be able to stay in the grounds on Saturday and Sunday night for $10 per night – there will be a pizza and a coffee cart stall situated in the motor home camp.
“We don’t know how many we’ll get but we’ll find room for them if we get too many. We’ll put them in amongst the vineyards if we have to.”
Pete says the festival will feature plenty of live entertainment and wine from 12 of the region’s wineries. There will also be five craft beers stalls and 23 food, coffee, ice-cream and craft stalls.
The festival will be held at Middle-Earth Vineyard on Bryant Rd Brightwater from 11am to 5pm on Sunday, February 19. For more information go to the website nwff.co.nz
