Richmond Showgrounds (Nelson A&P Association)

About this place

Richmond Showgrounds — also known as Richmond Park — is a 40-hectare event park on Lower Queen Street, Richmond, owned and operated by the Nelson A&P Association. It is one of the largest privately held event grounds in the Nelson Tasman region and is used for agricultural shows, equestrian and racing events, markets, festivals, community gatherings and indoor functions.

The park is bounded by Queen Street to the south and the estuary to the north, with the Nelson Harness Racing Club on the western boundary. The Association and the Racing Club share facilities, so the two properties effectively function as one large park.

History

The Nelson A&P Association was founded in 1893 and is a registered charity governed by an elected committee of volunteers. Its flagship event, the Nelson A&P Show, draws in the order of 10,000 to 12,000 visitors across two days. The Association also hosts summer and winter race meetings on the site.

Facilities for hire

Several facilities are available for hire alongside the open grounds:

• Birch Hall — a hall of approximately 21 x 7 metres with an attached kitchen of around 9 x 6 metres, hired on a half-day or full-day basis and suited to meetings, training, classes and small functions.
• The Waimea Room and Public Bar — located in the second grandstand, giving an indoor function space with bar facilities and views over the park.
• Open grounds and paddocks — large areas of flat, open land suitable for outdoor events, marquees, vehicle access, exhibitions and festivals.

Bookings are handled through the A&P office. Organisers should note that the venues are unavailable during the week before and the week of the summer and winter race meetings, and the week before and during the Nelson A&P Show — those blackout periods need to be checked early when planning around fixed dates.

Meeting and event suitability

Richmond Showgrounds is best suited to large-scale outdoor events, exhibitions, festivals, marquee functions and vehicle-based or equipment-heavy activations where open space and easy access matter more than fitted conference infrastructure. Birch Hall and the Waimea Room extend that to smaller indoor meetings, training days and functions. Catering and audiovisual are not fitted as standard, so organisers should plan on bringing in their own suppliers.