Events / The event year
The Mid North Coast event year 2027
Twenty-five years of building marquees on showgrounds, ovals and headlands means we know the region's calendar the way the crew knows the roads. Here are some of the year's events, and the list grows as people tell us about the ones we've missed.
Dates are the ones each organiser has published for 2027. Where nothing is published yet, we show the usual timing. Check with the organiser before you plan around them.
January
Camp Creative
Bellingen · Usually January
A week of music, theatre, dance and art courses that fills the town. Fortieth year in 2026.
Saltwater Freshwater Festival
North Coast Regional Botanic Garden, Coffs Harbour · Usually January
Aboriginal cultural festival of the Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti, Biripi and Worimi nations: music, dance, art and markets.
Australia Day Regatta
Hastings River, Port Macquarie · Australia Day weekend
Port Macquarie Yacht Club's river race and regatta alongside the Australia Day program.
February
Beach to Brother Trail Running Festival
Town Beach to North Brother, Port Macquarie · Usually February
Marathon, half and 10 km trail runs. Moved to February for 2026; the 2027 date is not yet set.
Trial Bay Triathlon
Trial Bay Gaol, South West Rocks · Usually February
Community triathlon with a junior event on the Saturday.
Nambucca Valley Open Streets Festival
River Street, Macksville · Usually February
Youth-led riverside street festival: two stages, markets, parade and fireworks. Runs twice a year; the spring one is in September.
Macksville Music Muster
Macksville Showground, Macksville · Usually February
A week of camping and country music at the showground.
NSW Oztag Junior State Championships
C.ex Coffs International Stadium, Coffs Harbour · Usually February
Around 300 junior teams over three days.
March
Run Fest Port Macquarie
Town Green, Port Macquarie · Usually March
Half marathon, 10 km and 5 km along the coast, with an event hub on the green.
The Championships, National Touch League
C.ex Coffs International Stadium, Coffs Harbour · Usually March
Touch Football Australia's national adult championship, around 150 teams. Fourteenth year at Coffs.
Wingham Show
Wingham Showground, Wingham · Usually March
Three-day agricultural show.
Wauchope Lasiandra Festival
Wauchope · Through March, from the second Saturday
A month of community events: street parade, markets and concerts.
Gloucester Show
Gloucester Showground, Gloucester · Usually March
Agricultural show at the southern end of our run, with a demolition derby and fireworks.
NSW Oztag Senior State Championships
C.ex Coffs International Stadium, Coffs Harbour · Usually March
Statewide senior Oztag championship.
Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race
Coffs Harbour International Marina, Coffs Harbour · March 2027
Ocean race from Sydney finishing at the marina, run by the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.
April
Maclean Highland Gathering
Maclean Showground, Maclean · Usually April
Scottish gathering over Easter: pipe bands, dancing, heavy athletics and a street parade.
Taree Easter Powerboat Classic
Manning River, Taree · Usually April
Powerboat racing on the river over Easter.
Wauchope Show
Wauchope Showground, Wauchope · Usually April
Agricultural show.
Kempsey Show
Kempsey Showground, Kempsey · Usually April
Agricultural show; the Wednesday afternoon is a local half-day holiday.
Macksville Show
Macksville Showground, Macksville · Usually April
The Nambucca Valley's agricultural show.
Grafton Show
Grafton Showground, Grafton · Usually April
The Clarence Pastoral and Agricultural Society's show.
Australian Celtic Festival
Australian Standing Stones, Glen Innes · Usually April
National Celtic festival at the Standing Stones and through the town. Up on the tablelands, so plan for cold nights.
May
Coffs Harbour Agricultural Show
Coffs Harbour Showground, Coffs Harbour · Usually May
Running since 1914: woodchop, cattle, sideshow alley and fireworks. Equestrian events at Nana Glen.
Buluunggal Festival
V-Wall, Nambucca Heads · Usually May
Gumbaynggirr cultural festival on the foreshore: storytelling, weaving, dance, music and a mullet barbecue.
Bellingen Show
Bellingen Showground, Bellingen · Usually May
Agricultural show, ten minutes from our depot.
Wingham Beef Week
Wingham Showground, Wingham · Usually May
A week of beef cattle competition and education, now in its thirty-ninth year.
River Sounds
Bellingen Showground, Bellingen · Usually May
Camping music festival, around forty artists over four stages.
Crescent Head Malibu Classic
Crescent Head · Usually May
Long-running longboard contest on the point.
Slice of Haven Food, Wine and Beer Festival
Camden Haven River foreshore, Laurieton · A Sunday in late May
Regional produce festival on the river.
June
ArtWalk Port Macquarie
Town centre, Port Macquarie · Usually June
Council's night of light art, installations and performance through the streets. Tenth year.
Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival
Bellingen Memorial Hall and venues, Bellingen · Usually June
Literary festival across the town.
Coffs Harbour Outdoor Living and Caravan Expo
Coffs Harbour Showground, Coffs Harbour · Usually June
Caravan, camping and outdoor trade expo.
July
Sawtell Chilli Festival
First Avenue, Sawtell · Usually July
Street food festival under the fig trees, around a hundred stalls and a chilli-eating contest.
Gloucester Mudrun
Gloucester Showground, Gloucester · Usually July
The show society's obstacle mud run.
Grafton July Racing Carnival
Grafton Racecourse, Grafton · Usually July
Two weeks of racing built around the Ramornie Handicap and the Grafton Cup.
Bello Winter Music
Venues across town, Bellingen · Second weekend of July
Boutique music festival in halls, pubs and churches around Bellingen.
August
Coffs Cup
Coffs Harbour Racecourse, Coffs Harbour · Usually August
Coffs Racing Club's feature day of the year.
Mid North Coast Caravan, Camping, 4WD, Fish and Boat Show
Wauchope Showground, Wauchope · Usually August
The Wauchope caravan and camping show: dealers and exhibitors across the showground.
Taree Gold Cup Carnival
Taree Racecourse, Taree · Two days in the second half of August
The Manning Valley's feature race carnival.
Coffs Harbour Running Festival
Jetty Foreshores, Coffs Harbour · Usually August
Marathon, half, 10 km, 5 km and a family run from the jetty.
September
Riverside Rhythms Festival
Riverside, Kempsey · Usually September
Free music and river festival: raft regatta, lantern float and a main stage. Successor to the Macleay River Festival.
Kempsey Cup
Kempsey Racecourse, Kempsey · Usually September
Kempsey Race Club's feature meeting.
Port Macquarie Offshore Regatta
Port Macquarie · Early September
Port Macquarie Yacht Club's two-day keelboat regatta.
National Old Mal Titles
Crescent Head · Usually September
The Malibu Club's second contest of the year.
PBR Coffs Harbour Invitational
Coffs Harbour Showground, Coffs Harbour · Usually September
Professional bull riding, one night, outdoors at the showground. First PBR event in Coffs.
Coffs Harbour Tiny Home Expo
Coffs Harbour Showground, Coffs Harbour · Usually September
Tiny and modular home expo with a speaker marquee.
Nambucca Valley Open Streets Festival, spring
Nambucca Valley · Usually September
The second Open Streets of the year, late afternoon into the evening.
Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival
Wingham Showground, Wingham · Usually September
Highland fair: pipe bands, heavy events and haggis.
Woolgoolga Curryfest
Beach Reserve, Woolgoolga · Usually September
Punjabi and Indian food and culture festival on the reserve, twentieth year in 2026. Around 20,000 people.
Coffs Harbour Big Boys Toys Expo
Coffs Harbour Showground, Coffs Harbour · Usually September
Caravan, 4WD, boating and outdoor expo with a stunt show.
National Youth Championships, Touch Football
C.ex Coffs International Stadium, Coffs Harbour · Usually September
Touch Football Australia's national under-12 to under-18 championships. Third year at Coffs.
Bellingen Muse
Bellingen · September
Fine and classical music festival, formerly the Bellingen Fine Music Festival.
October
Old Bar Beach Festival
Old Bar · Usually October
Volkswagen and Kombi festival with music, markets, fireworks and rides.
Port Macquarie Cup Carnival
Port Macquarie Racecourse, Port Macquarie · Usually October
The race club's marquee and hospitality days of the year.
Taree Show
Taree Showground, Taree · Usually October
Agricultural show.
Wingham Akoostik Music Festival
Wingham Showground, Wingham · Third weekend of October
Camping roots and acoustic music festival.
IRONMAN Australia and IRONMAN 70.3 Port Macquarie
Westport Park, Port Macquarie · Usually October
Both distances on the same day from 2026, plus IRONKIDS. Around 9,500 visitors in town for the week.
Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival
Dorrigo Showground, Dorrigo · Usually October
Camping folk and bluegrass festival, twenty-fourth year. Plateau weather, so walls and heating.
Camden Haven Show
Kendall Showground, Kendall · Usually October
Agricultural show. The society lists October for 2026; it has run in March in earlier years, so check.
Grafton Jacaranda Festival
Grafton · Usually October
Ten days of events under the purple. Australia's oldest floral festival.
Australian Oztag Junior Championships
C.ex Coffs International Stadium, Coffs Harbour · Usually October
National junior Oztag titles.
November
Barrington Coast Airshow
Taree Regional Airport, Cundletown, Taree · Usually November
Regional airshow with ground displays.
Australian Oztag Senior Championships
C.ex Coffs International Stadium, Coffs Harbour · Usually November
National senior Oztag titles.
Back to Bowra
High Street, Bowraville · Usually November
Heritage street festival: billy carts, parade and markets. Revived for its fiftieth anniversary.
Dorrigo Show
Dorrigo Showground, Dorrigo · Usually November
The plateau's agricultural show.
December
NSW Touch Senior State Cup
Port Macquarie Regional Stadium and Tuffins Lane, Port Macquarie · 3 to 5 December 2027, the fiftieth anniversary
NSW's largest senior touch tournament, at Port Macquarie through 2027.
Festival of the Sun
Sundowner Breakwall Tourist Park, Port Macquarie · Second weekend of December
Camping music festival on the breakwall, capped at 3,000.
Christmas and New Year race meetings
Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie · Usually December
Holiday meetings at both racecourses.
Coffs Jetty Carnival and New Year's Eve fireworks
Jetty Foreshores, Coffs Harbour · 21 December to 26 January, fireworks 31 December
Summer holiday carnival on the foreshore and the council fireworks.
Running one of these, or something like it? We carry $20 million public liability, quote itemised, and put the bump-in day in writing.
Putting on an event?
Send the run sheet and the site plan. We'll come back with an itemised quote and the day we'll be on site, in writing.