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by Vanessa Williams - Festival Coordinator

The Arrowtown Autumn Festival is now in its 40th year of celebrations, and while much has changed in that time, its heart remains the same. This is a festival built by the community, for the community - a celebration of local talent, local history, and the simple joy of coming together.

From its earliest days, the festival has reflected the character of Arrowtown itself. It’s not about big stages or headline acts. Instead, it’s about neighbours stepping up – musicians, performers, bakers, storytellers – all contributing in their own way. It’s the kind of event where you might see a friend on stage, a colleague pouring wine, or a local group sharing something they’ve quietly perfected over years.

That sense of making your own fun is deeply woven into the fabric of this place. It’s also beautifully captured in Roll Out The Barrel, a new book by local legend David Clarke, launching during this year’s festival. The book brings together tales from the Arrow Miners Band and the Buckingham Belles – groups who have long embodied the spirit of the festival. Their stories remind us that, long before organised events and packed programmes, people here found ways to connect, entertain, and create something memorable.

The Arrow Miners Band and the Buckingham Belles shared a great camaraderie and sense of fun, even touring together to perform at the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival. Buckingham Belle Rosemary Chalmers recalls one trip where band member June Flint had a broken ankle. “She was hobbling on crutches,” she says. “On our first night we stayed at a motel in Greymouth. The owners put on a huge barbecue, the band played and we ended up in bed at 1am. The next night the girls went into town for dinner, thinking the band would be well asleep by the time we got back, but no! They were all crammed into Archie and June Flints’ room, with June sitting up in bed, foot propped up, playing music.”

On one of their tours, the group stopped at the Haast pub on the way home. The band began to play, the Belles changed into costume, and word quickly spread. Before long, the pub was packed as the Belles danced. As Peter Doyle remembers, it was a brilliant night - “We were thanked in the morning with a chilly bin full of whitebait to take home.”

As the 40th festival approaches, it’s a chance not only to enjoy the events on offer, but to reflect on what makes them possible. Behind every performance, workshop, and gathering is a network of volunteers, organisers, sponsors, and locals who give their time and energy to bring it all together. At its core is a passionate committee, working year-round and determined to keep the festival a true community event. That collective effort is worth celebrating in its own right.

So whether you’re attending for the first time or have been part of it for years, this is an invitation to support, participate, and be part of something that is, at its core, unmistakably Arrowtown.