Saturday & Sunday 9am–5pm

Marquee outside Anzac Hall 

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Booksellers of second-hand, self-published and antiquarian books from around New Zealand fill up the Booksellers' Marquee outside the Anzac Hall over the Festival to offer you exquisite moments of fossicking for your future reading pleasure. Find the full list of booksellers here.

Saturday 10am–3pm

Sunday 10am–3pm

St Teresa's School 

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Enjoy homemade cakes, slices, scones – cheese and sweet scones too, sandwiches, curries and rice, tea/instant coffee/milk in paper cups. Also the famous, frequently requested McBride Family Kitchen preserves.

Parking is available on the back field for koha. Entrance on Birdwood street. Toilets are also available for public use throughout the weekend.

Saturday 9am–4pm
Sunday 9am-3pm

Featherston School 

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Featherston School will be running fundraising activities outside the School Hall including a craft market stall, book sale and raffle, Bookmark making, bake sale and sausage sizzle and cookie sales at ANZAC Hall.

Saturday & Sunday​

Loco Coffee & Books, 50 Fitzherbert Street, Featherston

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Be sure to pay a visit to Sharleen Forbes & Tania Connelly's pop up book table outside Loco.

Saturday & Sunday 9am–5pm

BNZ Bank Building, 65 Fitzherbert Street, Featherston

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Browse a range of books and works by self-published authors. Find the full list here.

Saturday & Sunday

ANZAC Hall & The Squircle

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Fuel up with a delicious range of food options throughout Featherston. Grab your coffee fix from Levitate Coffee, at their caravan outside Anzac Hall, and on Saturday morning don’t miss Featherston School’s bake table beside it, serving up homemade Afghans and chocolate chip biscuits. 

Over at the Squircle, a line-up of food trucks and stalls offers something for every taste:
Good Times - Mediterranean 
Bento Box - Japanese 
Mao & Co - Chinese Street Food) 
Lulu's Taqueria - Mexican
Caveman BBQ - BBQ Meats
Get Your Crepe - French)
Baxters Catering - Kiwi favourites
Fruit Scoop - Ice cream
 

Saturday & Sunday
10am–2pm, Clifford Square
(weather permitting) 

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Interest in miniature trains is huge and world-wide. Discover the joy of riding the rail on a mini-reproduction of an historic Fell engine – great fun for adults and children alike. Then pop over the road to the Fell Engine Museum and see the last remaining Fell engine in the world. Expand your understanding of this fascinating piece of our history by talking to like-minded enthusiasts. The museum is located on the corner of State Highway 2 and Lyon Street in the centre of Featherston.

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The Mini Fell team will also be selling second hand books in their shed next to the Squircle.

Sunday 4.30pm–late. Free.
Waimarie Eatery and Bar.

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Finish off the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival 2026 listening to New Zealand music being spun by our local vinyl aficionados - with a well-earned pint, some kai and your own pile of books to thumb through. 

Saturday & Sunday
Various locations  
(see schedule in the section below)
 

We’ll have buskers to entertain you. They're playing for the love of it, so if you like what you hear why not give them some koha – preferably cash. There’ll be music for everyone from folk, bluegrass and waiata to classics, jazz and blues. If you arrive by train there's likely to be a welcome from the South Wairarapa Pipe Band.

Saturday & Sunday
Around Featherston

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Combine a spot of exercise with literary fun and take the family for a trot around Featherston including the Story Walk® at the Joy Cowley Children's Playground curated by Featherston Booktown volunteer extraordinaire, Shara and her band of helpers.

View our PDF Trail Map with QR codes for more information.

Saturday 9am–12.30pm
33 Fitzherbert St 

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Featherston Market runs every Saturday, rain or shine, from 7:30am to nearly 2pm, providing fresh produce, fine food producers, innovative creators and much more. Take in the great atmosphere, amazing food and community spirit. You’ll find the market at 33 Fitzherbert Street, through the gates at the back of the Lang's carpark, beside The Baker.