ABOUT US

The Cambridge Autumn Festival is a community-based arts festival celebrating our beautiful town in autumn. 

The festival showcases emerging local performers and professional entertainers of all artistic genres, provides the joy of hands-on art activities, and delivers events that delight and entertain.

The Cambridge Autumn Festival is a charitable trust with a focus on providing for the community through events that contribute to wellbeing and provide opportunities for people to connect and build community pride, to enjoy having a go with art activities, as well as celebrating the diverse people in the area.

Many of the events are free and ticket prices for other events are at an affordable level to encourage wide participation. The festival helps bring performances to Cambridge that wouldn’t be possible as one-off events, and our focus is to deliver excellent quality and value for our community. The festival has over 20 events and includes musical concerts, dance, children’s events, a short story competition, the annual Main Street Carnival and Autumn Art Market, cultural performances, art exhibitions, hands-on workshops and activities, and more.

Our festival family

The festival is run by a volunteer festival committee, who work all year round to plan, organise and bring the festival to life. And there are thousands of people who are part of our festival “family” – the performers and their support crews, the event organisers for each of our events, the community groups and the art market stallholders. Let us not forget that none of this could be done without the generosity of our Sponsors.

And, of course, the people of Cambridge, Waipā and further afield who support our festival. The festival has been operating annually for the past 16 years (except for 2020 and 2022 due to Covid).

Find out more about our hard-working committee…

Alana MacKay – Committee Member/Trustee, Chairperson
Extensive event management experience including Festival Manager/Director, Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival and Pacific Rose Bowl Festival 2003-2009, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce First XV Young Networking Group events 2013-2020, former hospitality business owner 2009-2017, current elected member (2019-) Cambridge Community Board including Sister City events and delegations.

Julie Epps – Committee Member/Trustee
Past CEO of Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, ex Cambridge Community Board, past Trustee of Armistice in Cambridge, extensive marketing/branding/ communications experience.

David McCathie – Committee Member/Trustee
Founding member of Cambridge Autumn Festival, ex Festival Director of Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, former business owner.

Jocelyn Cooney – QSM Committee Member/Trustee
Lawyer, legal adviser for Autumn Festival, and a founding member. Local business owner and heritage enthusiast.

Gary Verberne – Committee Member/Trustee and Secretary to the Trust
Former professional musician and current Secretary to our Trust.

John Drummond – Committee Member/Trustee
Director of theatrical productions, opera performer plus set and lighting designer.  Former Principal.

Barbara Campbell – Committee Member/Trustee
Incoming Trustee 2024/25. Local business owner. Developed, owned and operated Craft NZ a major tourism & arts centre in Cambridge. Previously owned a tourism feasibility consultancy. Board member of Ellerslie Business Assn who run an annual major Spring Fairy Festival.