Rotary Martinborough Fair… the same but different

South Wairarapa Rotary still intends to run the annual Martinborough Fairs while operating under the Covid-19 traffic light framework and guidelines.  The venue for the Fairs, which are due to run on the first Saturday in April and in May, has had to change from the Martinborough township to another suitable venue, which is still to be confirmed.

Although the February Fair has been postponed until later this year, there will still be two fairs in 2022 now in April and May. The decision to change the venue of the Fairs was a difficult one, but it was necessary for the Fairs to meet the restrictions of the Covid-19 framework. 

Under the current Covid-19 traffic light framework, the Martinborough Fair is classified as retail, meaning the Martinborough Fair provides the venue for the “shops/stalls” to operate.  South Wairarapa Rotary’s Fair convenors have made the decision to check vaccination passes on entry to any venue and will ensure that there will be wider walkways – to give fair goers plenty of room to walk around safely.

Dependent on the final venue the organisers will also provide additional space between each stall ensuring the Fair meets and exceeds the Covid-19 framework guidelines.  Masks will be mandatory, so we will be ensuring everyone wears their mask whilst inside the venue and as much as possible “social distance” while shopping.

Currently only a small proportion of the 450 stallholders have decided not to come to this year’s Fairs, which is encouraging for both Rotary and the South Wairarapa community. The community will benefit significantly over the coming year, from the grants and donations made from the proceeds of the Fair.

We are absolutely committed to running both Fairs annually and we are confident that we will find a solution to the problem posed by the South Wairarapa Council when it declined our application to hold the Fairs this year, in the interests of safety for the township.

We, at Rotary, believe that we will find an alternative suitable venue that will allow us to continue to run the Fairs – whilst still meeting the guidelines specified in the government’s Covid-19 framework – and keep people safe while shopping.  

We look forward to welcoming everyone to the Fairs and as usual we will be on hand all day, to assist both shoppers and stallholders to enjoy the fun and entertainment that the Fairs bring each year.  The Martinborough Fair is the largest outdoor market in New Zealand.  

If you have any questions or need further information regarding the upcoming Fairs, please go to our website https://martinboroughfair.org.nz