A large, two-story historical house with white wooden walls and red trim, surrounded by trees and greenery.
A large, two-story historical house with white wooden walls and red trim, surrounded by trees and greenery.

A place to come together

A community-run heritage house and reserve in Nelson for gatherings, weddings, live music, workshops, and celebrations of all kinds.

Explore venue hire
Explore venue hire
Weddings at Fairfield

@anagalloway

Indoor & outdoor spaces

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Flexible venue hire

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Wheelchair accessible

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Heritage home

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Meadow & Gardens

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Indoor & outdoor spaces 〰️ Flexible venue hire 〰️ Wheelchair accessible 〰️ Heritage home 〰️ Meadow & Gardens 〰️

People attending an outdoor wedding ceremony surrounded by lush greenery, with string lights and bunting hanging overhead. A man and woman are standing at the center, dressed in wedding attire, with guests seated at tables watching.

If these walls could talk

From weddings and birthdays to retreats, concerts, talks and community gatherings, if you can imagine an event, Fairfield has probably hosted it.

With flexible indoor and outdoor spaces, we'll help bring your ideas to life.

Fairfield is a not-for-profit community venue where heritage, nature, creativity and community come together. The house and reserve are cared for by the small-but-mighty Friends of Old Fairfield (FOOF) team and volunteers, with venue hire, grants, donations and countless volunteer hours helping keep this special place open for everyone.

If you'd like to support Fairfield's ongoing care, donations are always appreciated.

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Outdoor wedding ceremony in a lush green park with guests seated under umbrellas, officiant and couple exchanging vows, and trees in the background.

Weddings

From a sun-drenched meadow ceremony, al fresco dinner in the courtyard, to an intimate gathering in the gallery or ballroom, our relaxed heritage blank canvas is yours to shape and celebrate in your own way.

Explore weddings
Explore weddings
A wedding reception with guests sitting at decorated tables in a warmly lit room, with a couple at the head table in front of a floral arrangement and dark green curtains

Venue hire

Flexible rooms and outdoor spaces for meetings, workshops, gigs, parties and community events.

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View spaces
An outdoor concert with a large audience seated in chairs, performing on stage with musicians and singers, surrounded by lush green trees and decorated with white bunting flags, under a red wooden pavilion with a chandelier.

What’s on

Live music, theatre, workshops, gatherings and community events hosted at Fairfield.

See upcoming events
See upcoming events

Upcoming Events

  • A poster for a retreat titled 'Reset & Steady: When You Can't Switch Off.' It includes a notebook with 'Breathe. Reset. Respond. Not react.' written on it, candles, and greenery. The poster highlights practical tools to calm your nervous system, such as understanding, slowing down, managing and calming, responding calmly, and pausing and resetting. It lists retreat dates of May 23 and October 10 at Fairfield House, Nelson, from 10 am to 4 pm, costing $99 per person.

    The Beauty Signal Seminar

    Sunday 16 August @ 1 - 2:30 pm

    A natural beauty seminar with Alison Ramsay. Beauty is one of the visible ways your body communicates. When we learn to notice those signals with curiosity instead of criticism, we begin to work with our biology rather than against it. This live afternoon seminar explores a different way of understanding beauty.

    View details
  • Event poster for 'Made to Fast' rebuilding a body that responds, scheduled for Sunday, May 24th at 1pm at Fairfield House, Nelson. The poster features a smiling woman with gray hair, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a flower in her hand and a rattle in her other hand, against a beige and brown background.

    Soul Nourish

    Sunday 30 August @ 8:30am - 5 pm

    Join Mana Vida and Wild Resilience for a women’s day retreat - a ceremonial space to slow down, feel, move and process together in sisterhood. Enjoy cacao, yoga, self love somatics, sharing circles, singing, nature connection, meditation, art, and nourishing food.

    View details
  • Invitation poster for Resourceful Craft '26 event at Fairfield House, Whakatū Nelson on June 6 and 7, featuring images of handmade crafts, natural materials, and craft supplies.

    The Follow Through Retreat

    Saturday 29 August @ 10am - 4pm

    A practical day retreat to help you build discipline, patience, and consistency so you can actually follow through and create real change. Led by Anessha Broughton, ICF Certified Life Coach and NLP Trainer.

    View details

Why people love Fairfield

“A massive thank you to all the staff at Fairfield House. We just played in a concert there (Clube do Choro de Christchurch) and we found this venue so magical.

Everyone there was so welcoming, making sure we had all we needed and setting up the venue to guarantee a beautiful evening for all! The surroundings are stunning and the building itself is gorgeous!

I highly recommend this venue for any events and also as spectators to enjoy a magical place with live music or other representations. See you soon!”

— Marianne Pringot

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“It was the perfect decision for us to hold our wedding celebrations at the historic Fairfield House.

The wide open layout made it possible for us to organise the different sections of our wedding program easily, from the ceremony in the meadow, to the big band performance in the courtyard and late night DJ party inside the house.

Dani was wonderful in ensuring we were well-informed on the necessary details to plan the wedding, and it was a very easy, smooth process booking the venue.”

— Wendy Phua

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“Fantastic venue for community. I attended a private function there. Multiple large spaces inside and out with lovely gardens. Good parking and an amazing kitchen and accessible bathrooms.”

— Etomia Wilson

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Unique spaces for every occasion

  • A decorated banquet room with tables set for a wedding reception or similar event, featuring floral centerpieces, white tablecloths, elegant glassware, and draped white fabric and paper pom-poms hanging from the ceiling.

    Ballroom

    For dinners, dancing, performances and celebrations. Capacity: Up to 70 guests

  • A spacious room with wooden floors, large windows with red curtains, and two ceiling lights. Several chairs are stacked along the walls, and a small table is near an open door that leads outside to a garden.

    Gallery

    A bright, welcoming space for workshops, meetings and gatherings. Capacity: Up to 30 guests

  • A charming garden pathway with brick pavers, flanked by lush greenery and colorful flowers, leads to a wooden building with a welcoming sign.

    Meeting room

    Perfect for small meetings, planning sessions and community groups. Capacity: Up to 10 guests

  • An outdoor gathering with people socializing on a grassy lawn surrounded by trees. There are white umbrellas, seating areas, a red and white stage, and tables with food and drinks. Some people are standing, others seated, and a few are dancing or talking.

    Meadow

    Open-air celebrations, festivals, ceremonies and events. Capacity: Up to 250 guests

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