Te Anau isn’t big on festivals although there are one or two prominent events in the Fiordland region and the Te Anau Rodeo is always a popular among families. Nearby Queenstown has the pick of the festival fun, however, with its many sporting events as well as carnivals, jazz, and a celebrity walk.

Te Anau Annual Rodeo: kicks off the year of events in early January featuring impressive horse showmanship and making for a great day out for the family.

Glenorchy Races: with horseracing at the Glenorchy Race Track that sees jockeys and horses from all over the South Island competing. Bareback racing is also on the agenda and there is much food, drink and side entertainment to boot.

Southern Lakes Women's Triathlon and Duathlon: held in mid-March at the Lake Hayes Show Ground, the women's triathlon is sponsored by Fresh Choice and features hundreds of women competing in this unique event.

Arrowtown Autumn Festival: celebrates the gold-mining era of Arrowtown near Queensland with much street entertainment and markets for tourists to enjoy. Expect a lively atmosphere and festive feel.

North Face Peak to Peak: involves skiing and other sporting activities on a race from the top of the Remarkables ski area, through the town of Queenstown and then up to nearby Coronet Peak. The winning man and woman each get a season pass for the Remarkables and Coronet Peak ski areas as prizes and several day passes are also given out.

Queenstown Winter Festival: is one of the largest winter festivals in the world and is also known as the ‘southern hemisphere’s ultimate winter party’. Dozens of events take place over 10 days during the festival including jet-boating, mountain biking, drag racing, big air jumping, dogs downhill racing, snowman making and much more. There are also many street parties, live concerts, balls, theatre, comedy, fireworks, and lots more live entertainment and shows held all over the town.

Spring Carnival: the Remarkables ski resort is host to another of Queenstown’s sporting events and features many snow-related sporting events as well as entertainment in mid-September.

Queenstown Jazz Festival: with 10 days of jazz featuring scores of musicians from all over the globe with gigs held at prominent venues in Queenstown and Arrowtown. Free workshops, ticketed concerts and themed events are also part of this fun spring festival.

Meridian Energy Celebrity Walk Week: is an annual event in Tuatapere, near Te Anau, which features an all inclusive three-day guided walk where the proceeds go to the Tuatapere Hump Track Charitable Trust. Minor celebrities are often featured on the walk.

Nike ACG Kepler Challenge and Luxmore Grunt: with top athletes from around New Zealand and overseas running a nearly 40-mile marathon over the Kepler Track, which involves steep valleys and lofty mountain peaks.