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Throughout the
Weekend

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Bookseller Stalls
in the Marquee

Saturday & Sunday 9am–5pm

Marquee outside Anzac Hall 

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.

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Literary Trail around Featherston including 
the Story Walk ®

Saturday & Sunday
Around Featherston

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.

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 Mini Fell Engine
is on Track 

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

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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Joy of Tea
and Books

Saturday 10am–4pm
Mrs Hope's Second Chance Emporium window 

Come explore the Book-themed window displays created by Beverley McNally.

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Pop-up Bookshop
on the Main Drag

Saturday & Sunday

50 Fitzherbert St, Featherston

There's always room in Featherston for more bookshops! Pop in to the pop-up bookshop next to the new Messines on the main street (where the old Tattoo shop used to be).

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 Booktown
Buskers

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.

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St Teresa's Featherston Booktown Market

Saturday 10am-2pm
St Teresa's School 

Each St Teresa's class will be taking part in the Featherston Booktown Market raising funds for some exciting class trips and for purchasing valuable learning resources. The stalls will be run by teachers, students, whānau and our fundraising team Friends of St Teresa's Association (FOSTA). We will have delicious curry and loaded nachos for sale, the best-ever preserves (world-famous in Featherston, yummy baking plus tea and coffee in our Cafe.

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Featherston
Saturday Market

Saturday 9am–12.30pm
33 Fitzherbert St 

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.

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Paint a Mural at
The Bakehouse

All weekend

The Bakehouse, 4 Wakefields St

The outline of a large mural painting has been outlined on a wall at The Bakehouse just off Fitzherbert St and 30 metres up Wakefields Street. Give us a hand to enliven it with colour!

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Country
Tea & Cakes

Saturday 9.30am–3.30pm

Sunday 9am–11.30am

Supper Room, Anzac Hall Complex 

Our tea room in the Anzac Hall is a vital element of the magic that is the Featherston Booktown Festival. All the food is lovingly handmade and served by a group of local volunteers who've supported the Festival in this wonderful way since the very beginning. Their club sandwiches, cheese scones, cupcakes and slices are legendary.

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 Mini Fell Engine
is on Track 

Saturday 9am–4pm
Sunday 9am-3pm

Featherston School 

Featherston School will be running fundraising activities outside the School Hall including a sausage sizzle, baked goods and some raffles. And, in honour of the Dononvan Bixley Children's event, we will be busing out the candy floss machine at 2pm on Saturday - an old school, surefire hit with the kids! 

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Pop-Up Aratoi
Museum

Saturday 9.30am-12pm

Featherston Library

Masterton's main Art Gallery will be putting in a 'pop-up' appearance on Saturday morning along at the Featherston Library. 

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Featherston Vinyl Club at the Waimarie

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

Finish off the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival 2025, listening to a few records being spun by our local Vinyl aficionados - with a well-earned pint, some kai and your own pile of books to thumb through. 

Busker

Busker Schedule

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The Dickensian Bookshop and Tea Rooms

Saturday 11.30am-12pm

David Famularo

 

Saturday 2pm-2.25pm

Smash on guitar

Sunday 11.30am-12pm

Alan Downes

Sunday 1.10pm-1.30pm

Smith Trio (solo)

Sunday 2.30pm-3pm

Smith Trio

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Chicken & Frog
Bookshop

Saturday 10.30am-11am

Abigail & Hannah

 

Saturday 12.45pm-1.15pm

David Famularo

Sunday 12.45pm-1.15pm

Featherston Winds

Sunday 2.30pm-3pm

Geoff Shaw

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Featherston
Railway Station

Saturday 10.50am-11.05am

South Wairarapa Pipe Band

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Outside the
Anzac Hall

Saturday 10.30am-11am

Smash on guitar

 

Saturday 3pm-3.30pm

Alan Downes

Sunday 10.30am-11am

Geoff Shaw

Sunday 12.45pm-1.15pm

Alan Downes

Sunday 2.30pm-3pm

The Kingston High Allstars

 

Sunday 4.35pm-5pm

The Kingston High Allstars

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Featherston
Town Squircle

Sunday 12.30pm-1.30pm

The Kingston High Allstars

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Te Kura o Paetūmōkai Featherston School Hall

Sunday 1.10pm-1.30pm

Smith Trio (solo)

Sunday 2.00pm-2.25pm

Featherston Winds

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Featherston Fresh 
Choice Supermarket

Saturday 10am-10.25am

Smash on Guitar

 

Saturday 11am-11.25am

South Wairarapa Pipe Band

Sunday 10.30am-11am

Smash on guitar

Sunday 11.30am-12pm

David Famularo

Sunday 1.10pm-1.30pm

Smith Trio (solo)

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Loco Coffee & Books
& Messines Bookshop

Saturday 10.15am-10.45am

Featherston Winds

 

Saturday 11.30am-12.00pm

Alan Downes

Sunday 10.30am-11am

David Famularo

Sunday 12.45pm-1.15pm

Geoff Shaw

Sunday 2.30pm-3pm

Smash on guitar

© 2024 Featherston Booktown Trust, New Zealand Charity Registration Number CC52369

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