MoMac River Festival Kaiapoi Returns After 10 Years
After a decade away, one of North Canterbury’s favourite community events made a successful return in 2026.
As naming rights sponsor of the MoMac River Festival Kaiapoi, we were incredibly proud to support an event that brought thousands of people together to celebrate the Kaiapoi River, local community groups, businesses, and everything that makes this part of Canterbury special.
With an estimated 7,000 people lining the riverbanks throughout the day, it was clear the community had been waiting for the festival’s return.
A Celebration of Community
From the moment the event got underway, there was a real buzz around Kaiapoi.
The river was packed with activity, local market stalls were busy, live entertainment kept the atmosphere humming, and families filled the town centre throughout the day.
One of the standout attractions was undoubtedly the Cardboard Regatta. The creativity on display, combined with the determination of participants trying to keep their handmade vessels afloat, had spectators cheering from the riverbanks all afternoon.
Events like these remind us how important community events are. They create opportunities for local businesses, community organisations, schools, sports clubs, families and visitors to come together and celebrate the place they call home.
Why MoMac Got Involved
At MoMac, we’re passionate about supporting initiatives that strengthen our local communities.
As a North Canterbury-based marketing agency, we work with businesses and organisations across Kaiapoi, Rangiora, Christchurch and throughout New Zealand, but our roots remain firmly planted in the communities where we started.
When the opportunity came up to support the return of the Kaiapoi River Festival, it felt like a natural fit.
Not only were we proud to be the naming rights sponsor, but we were also excited to contribute our skills and services to help promote the event and document the day itself.
More Than Just Sponsorship
Our involvement extended beyond simply putting our name on the event.
Leading up to the festival, our team supported promotional efforts through organic social media content and event marketing initiatives to help spread the word throughout the region.
On the day, we were on-site capturing photography and videography content, interviewing attendees, organisers, sponsors and community members to help tell the story behind the festival and preserve the memories for years to come.
Our team also operated a MoMac activation area where we had the chance to meet members of the community, connect with local businesses and enjoy the atmosphere alongside everyone else.
As a full-service creative agency, projects like this allow us to combine a range of services including:
- Event videography
- Event photography
- Social media marketing
- Content creation
- Brand promotion
- Community engagement
Most importantly, it gives us an opportunity to support events that have a positive impact on the communities we serve.
A Huge Effort Behind the Scenes
While the public sees the finished event, there is an enormous amount of work that happens behind the scenes to make something like this possible.
A huge credit must go to Karl, Laura, and the wider organising team who worked tirelessly to bring the River Festival back to life after such a long absence.
From logistics and planning through to sponsorship, health and safety, volunteer coordination and event delivery, there are countless moving parts involved in creating an event of this scale.
The result was a professionally run event that provided a fantastic experience for locals and visitors alike.
Looking Ahead
The success of the 2026 MoMac River Festival Kaiapoi shows just how valuable community events continue to be.
They support local businesses, create opportunities for community groups, bring people together, and showcase everything that makes North Canterbury such a great place to live and work.
We’re grateful to have played a small part in helping bring the festival back and would like to thank the organisers, sponsors, volunteers, emergency services, community groups and everyone who attended.
Most importantly, thank you to the thousands of people who showed up and supported the event.
Kaiapoi turned it on.
We can’t wait to see what next year brings.
Need help promoting your next event?
MoMac is a full-service creative agency based in North Canterbury, providing videography, photography, website design, branding, graphic design, social media marketing, printing and merchandise services.
Whether you’re organising a community event, launching a new business, or looking to elevate your brand, we’d love to help.
Get in touch with our team to discuss your next project.
