Marchfest is Nelson's beloved celebration of craft beer and the community spirit that surrounds it, held each March at the historic Founders Heritage Park on the edge of the city. Now one of New Zealand's longest-running craft beer festivals, it brings together breweries from across the top of the South Island and beyond for a day of tasting, live music, food and good company in one of Nelson's most characterful outdoor settings.

Nelson has a strong claim to being the heartland of New Zealand craft brewing — the region grows some of the country's finest hops, and a cluster of innovative craft breweries has made it a destination for beer lovers from across New Zealand and overseas. Marchfest celebrates this heritage with genuine enthusiasm, featuring a lineup of beers that showcases the depth and creativity of the local and national brewing scene alongside the food producers, musicians and community organisations that make Nelson's culture so distinctive.

Relaxed, welcoming and genuinely community-spirited, Marchfest is the kind of festival that reflects the best of regional New Zealand — a celebration that is proud of its place, its people and its produce. For visitors to Nelson in late summer, it is one of the finest ways to spend a day in a city that knows how to enjoy itself.