All aboard: North Canterbury Wine & Food Festival rides the rails into 2026
- Claire Inkson
- Mar 3
- 5 min read
There is something satisfying about arriving at a summer festival without the stress of driving, parking, and working out how you are getting home at the end of the day. On Sunday March 8, festivalgoers can do exactly that, with a dedicated passenger train running from Christchurch straight to the gates of the North Canterbury Wine & Food Festival at Glenmark Domain.
For Matt Barbour, Chair of North Canterbury Winegrowers, the train has been a long time coming.
“The train’s been on my wishlist for a long time,” he says. “Transport can be an issue with people driving or getting home afterwards, so having the train from Christchurch gives us a massive point of difference. You hop on in Christchurch at Addington, it stops at Rangiora, then it literally delivers you to the gates of the festival.”
The service is being operated by The Mainlander Train, with a return trip timed around the festival day. The train departs Addington Station at 9.21am, stops in Rangiora, then arrives in Waipara in time for gates opening at 10.30am. At the end of the day, it heads back to Christchurch, offering a simple, social option for people who want to enjoy the region’s wine and food without having to worry about who’s driving home.
“We’ve been working away behind the scenes with the Mainline train company who’ve come down,” Barbour says. “There’s been a lot of chat around the festival for the last six to eight months, so to actually get something over the line has been amazing.”
This year marks the 32nd edition of the festival — a fixture on the North Canterbury calendar that began in 1992 as the Waipara Wine and Food Celebration. Back then it was a small, relaxed pre-harvest gathering held on the grounds of Glenmark Church, with eight wineries taking part. As the wine industry expanded, the event grew with it. After the Canterbury earthquakes it moved to nearby Glenmark Domain, where the big oaks, open space and classic summer festival atmosphere have become part of its identity.
Today, the festival attracts around 4000 people, gathering under the oaks to celebrate North Canterbury’s wines, food and laid-back rural charm.
“The domain is perfect,” Barbour says. “You’ve got the oak trees for shade, open spaces for the two main stages, VIP tents in the middle, and food and wine stalls around. It just works beautifully for a summer festival.”
The festival remains proudly regional.
“The North Canterbury Wine and Food Festival is basically our celebration of North Canterbury local wines and food,” Barbour says. “There’s a big focus on the wineries, but also the food producers.”
This year includes around 18 wineries, with a deliberate focus on keeping it local.
“All the wineries are local. We don’t have anyone from outside the region,” he says. “North Canterbury runs from the Rakaia River to Hurunui, so while Waipara is central, there are wineries involved from outside Waipara too, like Tussock Creek and Mt Beautiful in Cheviot.”
Food is equally front and centre, with Made North Canterbury curating a tent of locally focused producers. Across the wider site, there are more than 70 stallholders, ranging from street food and casual bites through to premium offerings, plus a Brew Moon Beer Garden for those who prefer a cold pint in the sun.
Entertainment runs across two stages. The Main Stage opens at 10.30am with Henry McIlraith, followed by Simmer, Brad Staley, and a return performance from the New Zealand Army Band to close the day from 3.35pm to 5.00pm. The Jazz Stage offers a more laid-back soundtrack under the trees, with Chris and Frankie, the Army Band again, and After Five Jazz finishing the afternoon.
“Two main stages with mainly local acts,” Barbour says. “Our main act this year is the New Zealand Army Band. They were a massive hit two years ago, so we’ve brought them back.”
It is also a genuine family day out, with face painting, games, and a petting zoo.
“Very much a family atmosphere,” Barbour says. “Kids are welcome, and we’ve got an animal area, alpacas and things like that, for them as well.”
While the train is the headline, it is not the only transport option. Festival buses run from multiple Christchurch pickup points including Lincoln, Halswell, Cashmere, the CBD, Northwood, Rangiora, Woodend and Amberley. For those staying on, the region’s accommodation continues to grow, with vineyard stays, hotels and Airbnbs dotted throughout North Canterbury.
The festival also lands in a milestone year for the region’s wine story. Barbour says 2026 marks 40 years since the first harvest in North Canterbury.
“The vines were probably planted around 1982 or 1983, with the first harvest in 1986,” he says. “Early plantings were mainly Riesling and aromatics, with some Pinot as well. It’s pretty special to be celebrating that milestone.”
Asked what makes North Canterbury distinctive, Barbour points to both soil and climate.
“Our soils are a big part of it — clay soils with limestone throughout the valley. We’ve got this little microclimate where we’re protected by the hills, and we get warm days but cool nights from being close to the ocean,” Barbour says.
In the end, it is not just a day of tasting. It is a snapshot of a region that backs itself.
“Our region is hugely passionate,” Barbour says. “A lot of our wineries are family owned and have been for decades, and the same goes for our small food producers. We’re massive champions of our region and just want to promote all the incredible things people are doing and the progress we’re making.”
Tickets range from standard admission through to a sober driver option, and a limited Loula Lounge VIP experience with stage views and curated tastings. Train packages are expected to be in high demand, and bus transport remains available if rail tickets sell out.
For one Sunday in March, the easiest way to Waipara might just be by rail. And if Barbour gets his wish, it could be the start of something bigger for Hurunui and north of Christchurch, too.
“If we get good uptake, it becomes something to build on for next year,” he says. “I’m super excited to see how it progresses.”
BOX
North Canterbury Wine & Food Festival
Sunday 8 March 2026 | Glenmark Domain, Waipara
Gates open 10.30am | Finishes 5pm
• Dedicated Mainlander train from Christchurch (via Rangiora) direct to festival gates
• Around 18 local wineries + 70 food and artisan stallholders
• Live music across two stages, including NZ Army Band
• Brew Moon Beer Garden
• Family-friendly with petting zoo
Tickets: Standard $50 | Sober driver $30 | Under 18s free
VIP Loula Lounge and transport packages available
Info: ncwineandfood.co.nz | mainlander.co.nz
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