Hawke's Bay Food & Wine Classic — a 3-day weekend in Hawke's Bay

The weekend, day by day

1. Day 1

   Arrive in Hastings

   Land at Hawke's Bay Airport (NPE), settle in and walk the old town in the afternoon. Light dinner near your accommodation — save your appetite for the festival day.

2. Day 2

   Hawke's Bay Food & Wine Classic

   Festival day — arrive early to avoid the lunchtime crowd. Insider tip: The barrel-hall long-table lunches at Te Muna Road Road or Craggy Range book out weeks ahead—reserve immediately upon announcement. Skip the main festival grounds and instead focus on the individual venue events; the Syrah and Merlot-focused tastings at smaller producers like Black Barn offer better value and less crowding than the central tasting area.

3. Day 3

   Wine country day in Hawke's Bay

   Use the third day for a single winery visit (booked ahead) and a long lunch at one of the regional addresses below before heading home.

Where to stay

Three angles for the festival window. Festival hotels book out 6+ months in advance — apartments are the contingency when the main shortlist is sold out.

• Hotels in Hastings

  Live inventory around the festival window — 2 adults, all star ratings.

• 4–5 star options near Hastings

  Higher-end shortlist when you want the milestone weekend treatment.

• Apartments in Hastings

  Self-catering option — useful when festival hotels sell out 6+ months ahead.

Booking.com links — we may earn a commission. We never recommend hotels we wouldn't use ourselves.

Practical

Nearest airport

Hawke's Bay Airport (NPE)

Festival site

Visit official site