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The next MarchFest will be on Saturday March 28th 2009. 'MarchFest' or MudFest ?
A wet and windy MarchFest '08 but a bright future! Twelve hours of relentless rain, often horizontal into the faces of the music acts on stage, were not enough to dampen the enthusiasm of the 1000+ people who braved the weather to visit the inaugural MarchFest on Saturday March 29th at Founders Park, Nelson. Above, a MarchFest souvenir glass with souvenir mud and Gwen Daly, the MarchFest emcee, dancing in the rain. We have some glasses left over for sale, says Jayna below! You can have any combination of large (500ml) or small (325ml) glasses. Large glasses $9 each or set of 6 for $42, small glasses $7 each or set of 6 for $34, set of 1 large + 1 small $15 - all prices excl. postage and packing. Also a few t-shirts left @ $25 each - email us to order glasses or t-shirts.
Meanwhile... Pete Rainey’s MarchFest Oompah Band and Chilean troubadors Quinteto Los Inmorales performed impromptu acoustic sets in marquees and the beer hall while the sound system waited for an extra generator, after power cuts added to the disastrous weather! For those who attended, these setbacks did not seem to matter, and dancing in the mud soon became the order of the day. One Vibe (below right) played a great set, as did Jali Buba Kuyateh the Senegalese Kora player - that's him below, hidden behind the sheeeting rain!
Headline act SJD (that's Sean above) landed at Nelson airport at 5.30 and txtd us with the question – is the gig still on? Our reply: "Totally!" But Bad Luck struck again when SJD's keyboard did its own protest at being so wet by refusing to work properly for 10 tense minutes. Anything else to go wrong? No! At last all was fixed and SJD played a fantastic set – including an exquisite version of his current hit ‘Beautiful Haze’. Later Sean described the gig as "one of our most memorable."
The Parker Experience (above left) played a fine set in (you guessed it) driving rain, while Pete Rainey's MarchFest Oompah Band decided to retreat to one of the marquees. On the beer front, the four new local beers created for Marchfest all sold well and were given a thumbs up by enthusiastic drinkers. Townshend's Brewery’s real ale ‘Henley’s Revenge’ was singled out by a Michael Hoey, a visiting ale aficionado from the UK, as ‘potentially award-winning’. Michael writes for CAMRA the UK’s highly influential craft beer lobby group. Those brave souls who did attend, seemed to have a great time. We have learned heaps from putting on the first Marchfest. The biggest lesson must be to plan for rain, not gamble on the sun, even in Nelson! We also gambled on four brand new beers - and they all tasted great. Next year we will have even more beers to choose from, and a wider range of beer styles. We have already been approached by sponsors about next year’s event – a real vote of confidence in the future of MarchFest! About the festival brews All the special festival brews have been created for MarchFest with the proviso that they must include locally grown hops and be previously unavailable anywhere else in the world. March Hare: “It’s a unique manuka beer,” says Mussel Inn brewer Andrew Dixon, “using local sauvin hops. Manuka is becoming quite iconic in the area - which will help to reinforce the regionality of MarchFest.” Straw Beery Blonde: “It will be a New World larger with an alcoholic strength of around 4.5% abv,” says Founders brewer John Duncan. “We’ll do some tasting notes once it has been brewed!”
Henley’s Revenge: "Brakspears Brewery in Henley-on-Thames closed down in 2002 having opened in 1711,” says brewer Martin Townshend. “Henley’s Revenge is my tribute to their fine beermaking traditions. It's also a nod in the direction of Mic Dover's efforts in raising awareness of Nelson's craft beers - he was a Brakspears fan when he lived in the UK." Easter Ale: “It’s full name is Long Hop and Two Smoking Barrels Easter Ale,” says Tasman Brewery’s Dave Barrett. “You can call it Easter Ale for short!”
The four local breweries selected for the 2008 MarchFest are Founders, The Mussel Inn, Tasman and Townshend. Founders is Australasia’s first organic brewery and is now a sixth generation family brewing business. The Mussel Inn is an iconic green brewery in Golden Bay, recently added to Lonely Planet’s Blue List under the category of 'Best Brews - The World's Finest Beer Headquarters'. Tasman Brewery is the force behind the new ‘Sprig and Fern’ neighbourhood pub franchise and Townshend is the newest of only three ‘real ale’ breweries in New Zealand. Other local breweries will be invited in future years. Craft brewers use traditional brewing techniques and local ingredients to produce fresh, tasty beers. Craft brewers produce beer in small batches and do not use chemicals to make the beer last longer. Like our wines, Kiwi craft beers are attracting attention and winning international awards for their high quality and distinctive flavours. New Zealand has a great climate for barley cultivation, world-class hops grow in Motueka and there are abundant supplies of mineral-rich, clean water. Future MarchFest events The next MarchFest will be on Saturday March 28th 2009. MarchFest is aiming to become the Southern Hemisphere’s foremost beer festival, attracting beer lovers from around the world to taste unique Kiwi craft beers in the world-class setting of Nelson. As the event grows, more craft breweries will be invited to create festival brews and the event facilities will grow accordingly. The Organisers MarchFest is the creation of Eelco Boswijk and Mic Dover, the people behind Dead Good Beer Events who organise the quarterly Nelson Beer Fetes at Founders Park. Dead Good Beer Events are connecting the new breed of Kiwi craft brewers with the growing number of beer drinkers who are demanding more from their beer. Thanks to the following sponsors for helping to make the first ever MarchFest possible: |
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