WHANGANUI events 2019

Cemetery Circuit Motorcycle Street Race, 26 December 2018. With a history spanning more than 60 years, this event sees riders navigate corners and blind ‘S’ bends on a mile-long (1.6km) course through downtown Whanganui via the old town cemetery. Paradise for petrolheads. cemeterycircuit.co.nz V8 Jetsprint Championship 2018, Shelter View Jetsprint

Park, 27 December 2018. Enjoy the spectacle of high-powered jetsprint boats zipping around a purpose-built course. v8jetsprints.co.nz

Whanganui Opera Week, January 2019. Fundraiser for the NZ Opera School. Public events include masterclasses, lunchtime and evening recitals and a gala concert. whanganuioperaweek.co.nz

Vintage Weekend, 19-21 January 2019. Embrace the old in Whanganui’s largest annual street carnival. Attractions include steam train rides, parades, car shows, music and soap box derbies, plus hunting out vintage bargains at a variety of stalls and shops. vintageweekend.co.nz

Artists Open Studios, March 2019. This 10-day creative fest offers a behind-the-scenes peek into Whanganui’s dynamic arts scene. More than 80 studios and 200 artists take part with printmaking, ceramics, jewellery, painting, glass and furniture on display. openstudios.co.nz

Whanganui Literary Festival, September 2019. Dubbed New Zealand’s “best regional literary festival”, the biennial series of talks and workshops features leading New Zealand authors across all genres. writersfest.co.nz