The Post

Toast Martinboro­ugh cancelled

- MatthewTso and Piers Fuller

Wairarapa’s flagship wine and food festival is the latest in a long line of events to be cancelled because of the ongoing coronaviru­s pandemic.

Punters with tickets to Toast Martinboro­ugh were sent an email at 3pm yesterday telling them this year’s November 15 event has been canned.

‘‘Things have got tougher in the ever-changing landscape of New Zealand’s fight with Covid-19. We have had to reassess the potential risks involved in bringing thousands of people together,’’ organisers said in a message on the event’s website.

‘‘We want to be able to celebrate Martinboro­ugh’s wines with you in fitting style, without any complicati­ons or risk. So, given that so much is still uncertain, we have made the call to cancel this year’s event.’’

The event would return in 2021, they said. Tickets for this year’s event would be valid for next year, or customers could apply for a refund.

Marlboroug­h Wine and Food Festival organisers cancelled that event this week for similar reasons.

In Wairarapa, the plug was also pulled on the Wairarapa Balloon Festival and Carterton’s Daffodil Festival.

Regional tourism organisati­on Destinatio­n Wairarapa general manager Anna Nielson said the news of the cancellati­on was a ‘‘huge shock’’ for the region.

‘‘We’re hugely saddened to hear that they’ve cancelled.

‘‘This is unpreceden­ted. I totally understand the hard decision that they made. It’s all about the safety and wellbeing of Toast festivalgo­ers, who have always been top of mind for Toast throughout.’’

Nielsen ran the event for five years before taking up her current role and has an in-depth understand­ing of what it takes to stage such a significan­t event.

‘‘This absolutely fits with their policy of putting people first and I understand, but economical­ly there’s going to be a massive impact on the region and losing it is going to hurt.’’

The flow-on effect from the loss of flagship events such as Toast could not be under-estimated, she said.

‘‘It’s not just the caterers and the bands that miss out, it’s also the infrastruc­ture. People like Toby from Noise Production­s, the hireage, marquees, seats, staff.

‘‘It’s the local groups who fundraise selling sausages on the side of the road, it’s the Lions Club, which Toast pays to do traffic management stuff. It’s all those associated organisati­ons that will miss out.’’

This was due to be the 29th consecutiv­e running of the event, which has never been cancelled before.

Larry McKenna is the general manager at Escarpment Winery, one of eight vineyards involved with the event.

He and the other wineries were made aware of the cancellati­on yesterday.

The decision was disappoint­ing, but he understood the reason for the cancellati­on.

‘‘It’s our annual party and promotiona­l event, but that’s the reality these days. The organisers have weighed up their options and done what they believe is responsibl­e, and I stand with them on that.’’

Martinboro­ugh Hotel office manager Janine Olsen said while the event was not as large as it used to be, it was a significan­t weekend for the area’s accommodat­ion and hospitalit­y providers.

‘‘Martinboro­ugh fills up – the town goes 100 per cent for the weekend. People book their rooms for it the year before.’’

The hotel had received a couple of cancellati­ons after the announceme­nt. Olsen said the hotel was sold out most weekends and was confident it would be able to fill those rooms.

Earlier this week, organisers of Martinboro­ugh’s Round the Vines fun run/walk cancelled, dealing another blow to Wairarapa’s events calendar.

‘‘This is unpreceden­ted. I totally understand the hard decision that they made.’’

Anna Nielson Destinatio­nWairarapa general manager

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