New lighting celebrates the 11th Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival from 8 to 10 May 2026
New lights at Featherston War Memorial will shine a yellow glow of celebration this weekend as the signature colour of the much‑loved Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival.
The new lights were installed in April and will operate year round, with programming options in a range of colours to match events held during the year.
This weekend’s Booktown Karukatea Festival is now in its 11th year and runs from Friday 8 May to Sunday 10 May. Tickets are still available to some events and the town adopts a celebratory mood over the festival in bookstores, retail and hospitality outlets.
The Council gave Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival $49,999 in recognition of its role as a global drawcard for talent and a much loved festival in the community, which builds the South Wairarapa economy. Find more details about this funding online.
Find out more about Booktown at www.booktown.org.nz
Find out more about upcoming community projects across South Wairarapa district online on the Council website.