Festivals and annual events
Carnivals, festivals, flower shows, and sports events dot the New Zealand calendar. Summer is the busiest time, but you'll find activities in all seasons. Events mentioned below and those noted elsewhere are only a sampling of those you can attend. The New Zealand Tourist Office publishes an annual listing; you may find more events mentioned in local newspapers.
Spring (September through November) heralds the flower show season. Bulbs, rhododendrons, azaleas, and blossoming trees put on magnificent displays in botanic gardens, Alexandra salutes its commercial fruit industry with a September blossom festival. From October to April, lively and colorful A & P shows are held at dozens of sites around the country.
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In summer (December through February), many towns and resorts celebrate during the Christmas New Year holidays with festivals, carnivals, regattas, parades, horse races, and other sports competitions. At Waitangi, an annual twilight ceremony on February 6 commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
Autumn (March through May) brings the Golden Shears sheep shearing competition in Masterton, Maori canoe races and other contests in Ngaruawahia, and the Highland Games in Hastings. National and international artists perform in Auckland's Festival of the Arts, in the Festival of Wellington, and in Christchurch's annual Arts Festival. Trout and game fishing competitions are highlights of the autumn sports calendar.
In winter June through August, Tauranga hosts a Citrus Festival and gathering of Scottish clans. Skiers take to the slopes, while ice skaters and curling enthusiasts head for South Island's frozen lakes and outdoor rinks.
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