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Where can I get water?There will be FREE WATER all day at various stations around the event, plus on each bar – we appreciate you being responsible with your alcoholic consumption! Keep hydrated and enjoy your day.
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What non-alcoholic drinks are available?The main bar + Granary bar will have a non-alcoholic beer options. The wine bar will have soda + ginger beer All food carts will have non-alcoholic drink options, plus there will be a coffee cart onsite. Water is available at various locations around the festival, from the Red Frogs Team wandering around the event + at every bar
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I have dietary requirements, will there for food options for me?"Yes! Click here for the list of all our local food carts that will be there. We have listed those that cater to special dietary requirements.
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Can I bring my own food?Sorry no, please don’t bring any food or drink in with you. There are lots of yummy food and drink options available onsite. Security will be checking bags on entry. Please contact us prior to the event if you have any questions about this.
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Marchfest glasses?On entry, all ticket holders over 18yrs will get an official Marchfest Souvenir glass, to use for all your drinks throughout the day - dont forget to take it home! You can choose a beer OR a wine glass (wine can be consumed in either a beer or a wine glass) You can only get a beverage in an official Marchfest 2024 glass, our bar staff will not serve you with any other type of drinking vessel The pour lines on the beer glasses are; 200ml for a small pour and 425ml for a full pour. The pour line on the wine glass is; 150ml There is also the 'Tasting Bar' where you can give the beers a go before committing to a half or full glass. These are 80ml tasters and come in a paddle of 5 beers of your choosing.
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Where can I see what Beers will be on offer?Click here for a list of all the Beers that will be at this years festival. We also have a Festival App where all Beers are listed, along with short and sweet tasting notes, style of Beer, and ABV’s.
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Can I take any Beer away with me?No Sorry! We do not hold an off-licence, so anything purchased at the festival must be consumed at the festival - Cheers! However, if you love something - we highly recommend grabbing some direct from the brewery, find them online!
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What will be available to drink other than Beer?If Beer is not your jam, then we have a great range of alternatives. Visit the St Pauli Vineyard Wine bar or Peckhams Cider is available at one end of the main bar. Visit the wine bar for SideKick Soda and STOKE Ginger beer Check out the Alchemist Cocktail Stand for a Ginger Beer Cocktail! There will be FREE WATER all day at various stations around the event, plus on each Bar – we appreciate you being responsible with your alcoholic consumption! All food carts will have non-alcoholic drink options, plus there will be a coffee cart onsite.
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How much do drinks cost?80ml Taster | $12 (for a paddle of 5 x 80ml tasters – available at the Tasting bar only) 200ml Small | $6 425ml Full | $10 150ml Wine | $10 Reminder - all drinks must be purchased with Marchfest tokens, each token is equivalent to $2
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I’ve broken or lost my glass, can I get another?Yes, but only if we have any left! They are $5 and can be purchased from the front entry. Don’t forget to let one of the crew know if there is any broken glass that needs cleaning up.
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What time do you stop serving alcohol?The two main bars close at 8:30pm, so make sure you have sampled everything that you want to prior to that time. (Event finishes at 9pm) The tasting bar will close at approx 7pm, depending on demand.
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Where is the event?Marchfest is held at Founders Heritage Park, Atawhai Drive. It takes approx. 20mins to walk to Founders from the centre of town (2.4km)
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What hours is the event?Festival gates open at 1pm and close at 9pm. For any on-the-day ticket purchases, the gate sales booth at the front of Founders Heritage Park, is open from 10am. For collection of pre-purchased tokens the gate sales booth is open from 10am.
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Where can I park and how else can I get there and home?There is limited free parking onsite at Founders Park - please follow the directions of our parking wardens. Once this carpark is full, you will need to find alternative parking along Atawhai Drive and neighbouring streets. Please be respectful to residents and do NOT park over driveways. We recommend parking in Nelson CBD and walking the 15-20mins to Founders Park. There will be taxis to take you home safely, the taxi stand is directly outside the windmill. The public ebus service and late late bus service will both be operating on their weekend schedule. Visit the website for details https://ebus.nz/ Please ask our event crew if you need assistance with getting home safely.
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Is there disability parking and toilets?Yes there are disability parks in the Founders Park carpark, in front of the windmill. Our car parking attendants are there to assist. You will find 3 accessible toilets in the main toilet block outside the Energy Centre. Check your festival map for toilet locations.
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Can I bring my children?Yes! There will be a Kids Zone operating from 1-5pm with lots of fun activities happening. Please note: this is not a drop off zone, all children must be supervised. However there are some strict guidelines in place, please ensure you read the below information carefully. Marchfest is a family friendly event, however you are bringing them to a Beer Festival so please be understanding of this and make a decision about bringing your children based on this. Under 18yr olds are free (until 6pm) when they are accompanied by their legal parent or guardian holding a valid entry ticket. Under 18yrs require their own U18 'free' ticket, these can be purchased at the same time as festival tickets via our website. At entry, Under 18yr olds will be given a RED wristband, signalling they are underage and cannot be served at any bars. IMPORTANT, please read the below before you bring your Under 18 with you to Marchfest: Under 18yrs are are only permitted to be at the festival until 6pm (this is part of our liquor licence) this will be strictly enforced by event crew and security on the day, they will start circulating from 5.30pm and reminding families of this ruling. We appreciate you following the rules! The Main Beer Hall inside the Energy Centre is strictly R18, there will be security at all entries monitoring this.
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Is there a kids area?Yes! The team from Wilbury Entertainment will be running the free Kids Zone, there will be lots of games and entertainment for kids of all ages. Please note: this is not a drop off zone, all children must be supervised. IMPORTANT - Under 18yrs are are only permitted to be at the festival until 6pm (this is part of our liquor licence) this will be strictly enforced by event crew and security on the day, we appreciate you following the rules! Also, the main beer hall inside the Energy Centre is R18 only.
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Where can I breastfeed and are there baby change facilities?You are welcome to breastfeed wherever you feel comfortable at the festival. There is baby change facilities in the disability toilets by the Granary. Please see our friendly event crew if you need any assistance.
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What bands are playing?Click here to see all the 2024 line up, it’s a good one! Don't forget to check out the locals stage in the Tasting Bar as well
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Have you got a waste strategy?Sure do! We pride ourselves on aiming to be a minimal-waste event. There will be recycling & waste stations around the park. Please help us, to help the environment but utilising the correct recycling bins. If in doubt, please ask one of the friendly event crew.
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Is smoking/vaping permitted?All buildings and marquees within Founders Park are smoke free. Smoking and vaping is only permitted away from the crowds or outside the park.
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What if I get injured whilst I’m there?St Johns ambulance will be onsite all day, you will find them beside the windmill. Please ensure you let a Marchfest crew member know if you need assistance.
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I’ve lost my jacket, shoe, child, where can I find it?"Lost property (and lost children) during the event can be tracked down at the windmill. If you find something that’s not yours, please take it there. After the event, if you are missing something, please contact Founders Park on 03 548 2649
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Is it still on if its raining?Yes! You can still drink Beer and dance in the rain! The most up to date info on the day will be on our facebook page, make sure you are following! https://www.facebook.com/Marchfest
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Can I bring a chair/picnic blanket?You are welcome to bring a chair or blanket, in fact we encourage you to!
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Can I bring my dog?Sorry, no pets. Only registered service dogs.
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Is there an event photographer?Yes, we will have Steve Hussey Photography there on the day to capture all the awesome event shots. Entry to the event automatically grants permission for the event photographer to take event photos which may appear in future marketing of the event. Photographic rights are retained by the Marchfest promoters. We are also shooting a new promo video this year, will you star in this?!
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Ticketing Terms & ConditionsCLICK HERE to read the Marchfest ticketing terms & conditions
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Do I need to print my ticket?No. Well, you can if you want to! But just show the entry crew your ticket bar code on your phone and you are good to go! If you have a bunch of tickets, please make sure each person has their own ticket. Make sure your phone brightness is UP so our scanners can pick up the ticket code If you have a ticket question, please contact TicketFairy first or the event crew info@marchfest.com
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I can’t find my ticket, can you help?It happens, tickets are via Ticket Fairy - get in touch with them to get your tickets resent OR the Marchfest crew here and we will resend it to you.
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Is my ticket legit?Marchfest official tickets are ONLY sold via Ticket Fairy, if you have a ticket from any other ticketing platform, its a fake, sorry! If you are unsure, please get in touch with the Marchfest team
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Do I need to bring ID with me?Yes, on entry our event crew will ID check you if you look under 25. So please have your valid ID ready – drivers licence, 18+ card or current passport. You will then be given a wristband to wear for the duration of the event. Please don’t be offended if our crew also ID you at the bars, they are just doing their job!
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Will there be gate sale tickets?Maybe, there is no guarantee! We recommend buying tickets now to avoid disappointment IF gate sales are available, the gate sales booth will be open from 10am at the front of the windmill at Founders Park
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What does my ticket include?Your ticket includes entry to the festival + a festival glass, access to all areas of the event plus a day of fun, entertainment, epic music and real craft beer sampling! All drinks & food are an additional cost - purchase your Marchfest tokens as you come into the festival.
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Marchfest Tokens - How do I buy stuff?All purchases at Marchfest are in the Marchfest token currency. 1 Marchfest token = $2 CLICK HERE to see how much things cost Grab your tokens on the way in, or even better, pre-purchase them when you get your ticket and collect your pre-purchased tokens anytime from 10am from the marquee outside the windmill at the front of Founders Park You can refund your tokens at any time during the event, up until 9pm when we close. NO token refunds are available after 9pm Food Vendors will also accept Eftpos payment as well as token payments
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What if I have old Marchfest tokens, from previous years?"Sorry, these are not valid for any purchases. ALL purchases must be made using the 2024 Tokens, you can easily spot them they have a beer glass on them!
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Do I need a ticket for my child/under 18?Under 18yr olds require their own ticket (so we know how many are onsite) and are free with their legal parent/guardian holding a valid entry ticket. All under 18yrs old will be issued with a red wristband at entry (please note these wristbands cannot be used to purchase anything at the event) IMPORTANT: under 18yrs are only permitted to be at the event until 6pm. This will be enforced by event crew on the day. And the Main beer hall inside the Energy Centre is R18 only.
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How many people will be there?Based on previous years, there will be approx. 2,500-3,000 Craft beer loving fans there on the day!
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Can I leave and come back later?You sure can, just keep your wristband on.
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Will there be a line to get in?Depends on what time you arrive, but yes there likely will be. You can help us to keep the lines moving quickly by having your ID and ticket ready, and also have your bags ready for checking. Our event crew will be working as hard as they can, we appreciate your patience!
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What can I/can’t I bring in?Alcohol – Obviously, no. Theres plenty there. Water Bottle - YES, but it needs to be empty on arrival Drugs - No Food - No, unless required for any infant. Please chat to event staff prior to the day if you are unsure Chairs/Picnic Blankets – Yes for sure! But please be considerate of others around you. Umbrellas – It won’t rain, its Nelson! But if it does, yes you are welcome to bring your brolly. We take no responsibility for lost umbrellas. Just dont be a dick and poke people with your umbrella!
Have questions? Check out the frequently asked questions under each category below.
Still have questions? Click here to email the Marchfest team
Still have questions?
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