Tomorrow the Coromandel will come alive with all things ‘Homegrown’, as it launches into another month long festival celebrating and showcasing Coromandel food, wine, music and art.
The festival kicks off with the start of the Great Coromandel Arts Tour in Coromandel Town. Held over three weekends, the tour is an opportunity to view over 28 artists who, for some, is a one off occasion, will be opening their studios for you. Driving Creek Railway will be putting on a special two hour ‘Art Train’ tour, which not only is a one off but is also commentated by internationally known artist and entrepreneur ‘Barry Brickell’.
Further down the coast the local artists from in and around Whangamata will open their studios for Arts Maynia.
Over in the Mercury Bay, you’ll get your chance to view some of the finest tractors in the country, at the annual Hahei Tractor Bash. That is after you have spent Saturday touring Cathedral Cove Macadamias in one of their orchard tours and relaxing to the sounds at the Mercury Bay Estate, music amongst the vines.
With four weeks still remaining of the Coromandel Homegrown Festival, Tourism Coromandel’s Event Manger, Megan Etherington points out ‘There is still plenty on offer to entertain throughout the month of May. We have the annual Monteiths Coromandel Café Crawl held this year in Thames, Tairua and Coromandel town as well as a four-day cooking school in Tairua and a chocolate making workshop in Whangamata. There is also plenty of live music including the Feijoa Festival and the Ukulele Festival. The sounds of soul will be heard through Tairua while Thames will hear a variety of sounds from Simon Donald to the All Star Blues Band To round things off you can also enjoy the Coromandel Homegrown food trail, the ever popular Thames and Coroglen Farmers Markets and the Coromandel Town Homegrown Community Market.
The wider festival runs from 1 May – 31 May. A full program is available on line from
