Tocal Field Days 2027: A Practical Guide for Visitors and Exhibitors

6 days ago

6 min read

Every year on the first weekend of May, a working agricultural college outside Paterson turns into the biggest rural event in the Hunter. In 2026, Tocal Field Days drew 26,185 visitors and 345 exhibitors over three days, according to the organisers’ own event scorecard.

That’s a lot of people heading for one country road, and most of them are trying to sort out the same things: when to go, where to park, what to bring and where to stay. If you’re exhibiting, you also have bump-in and pack-down to plan around, and that can mean four nights away instead of one.

This guide covers the practical details for both groups, plus how to make a weekend of it in Maitland and the surrounding area.

What Tocal Field Days is

Tocal Field Days has run for more than 40 years and calls itself the Hunter Region’s premier agricultural field day. It’s held at Tocal Agricultural College, 815 Tocal Road, Tocal (Paterson postcode 2421), about 10 minutes from Maitland.

The core of the event is agriculture: machinery, farming technology, remote devices, livestock management, renewable energy, soil science and sustainable practice. Around that sits plenty for people who don’t farm:

working dog displays, blacksmithing and horse hot-shoeing demonstrations
an animal nursery, piglet races and milking at the Dairy NSW stand
the Good Food and Wine precinct and Eat Street, with local produce, bars and tastings
live music across the weekend, artisan markets and hands-on activities for children

In practice that means two quite different crowds. There are farmers, contractors and rural businesses who come to compare equipment and talk to suppliers. And there are families and day-trippers from Newcastle, the Central Coast and the Hunter who come for a day out. Both groups need somewhere to stay, but they book differently. We come back to that below.

Tocal Field Days 2027 dates and hours

The organisers list Tocal Field Days 2027 for Friday 30 April to Sunday 2 May 2027. It follows the usual pattern of the first weekend in May. Check the official site before you lock in travel, as event details can change.

Based on the 2026 event:

Day	Hours
Friday	9am – 5pm
Saturday	9am – 5pm
Sunday	9am – 4pm

Which day to go. The organisers say Saturday and Sunday are the busiest, noisiest days and recommend Friday if you want smaller crowds. If you’re there for serious equipment conversations, Friday is also when exhibitors are freshest and least rushed.

Tickets. Tickets are sold through the official website. Prices and any online processing fee are set each year, so check the ticketing page rather than relying on last year’s figures.

Getting there, parking and the free shuttle

By car. Tocal is reached along Tocal Road via Maitland or Paterson. Parking is free and on site, with attendants directing traffic on arrival. Priority parking near the main entry on Tocal Road is set aside for Mobility Parking Scheme sticker holders and NSW Seniors Card holders.

By train and shuttle. Trains run daily from Newcastle and the Upper Hunter to Maitland Station (check the Transport NSW trip planner for your date). In 2026 a free Park & Ride shuttle ran hourly from Maitland Station from 9am, with a pick-up at Lorn (corner of Belmore Road and Brisbane Street) from 9.15am. The last shuttle left Tocal at 4.30pm on Friday and Saturday and 3.30pm on Sunday.

The shuttle is worth thinking about if you plan to spend time in the Good Food and Wine precinct. No outside alcohol is allowed through the gates, and leaving the car in Maitland removes any question about driving home.

Getting around the site. A free “Hop & Go” shuttle runs on the Ring Road and stops at four key points. The site is wheelchair-friendly, though some paths are gravel.

Practical tips for visitors

A few details from the organisers that are easy to miss:

Bring cash. There are no longer ATMs on site.
Leave the dog at home. Dogs generally aren’t allowed, apart from guide dogs and certified assistance dogs, and dog minding is no longer offered. If you’re travelling with a dog, plan who will look after it on the day before you leave.
Use Parcel Pick-Up for big purchases. Ask the exhibitor for a Parcel Pick-Up form and your item will be brought to the car park. Allow up to 90 minutes.
Plan for noise if you need to. Machinery and demonstrations can be loud. The organisers suggest noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs for anyone sensitive to noise, and the Maitland CWA runs a quiet space in the Tocal Chapel with Devonshire tea.
Dress for a paddock. It’s a large outdoor site in early May, so comfortable walking shoes and a layer for the afternoon are sensible.

A note for exhibitors and trade teams

If you’re exhibiting, your trip looks very different from a visitor’s. Most stands need bump-in time before Friday’s opening and a pack-down after the gates close at 4pm on Sunday. For many teams, that means arriving on Wednesday or Thursday and either staying Sunday night or facing a long drive home after a three-day event.

Check the organisers’ exhibitor guide (the “Little Yellow Book”) for bump-in and bump-out times, then book your accommodation around those times rather than the public opening hours.

Some things worth looking for when you book:

Room for vehicles and trailers. Utes, trucks and trailers need more space than a standard car bay.
Laundry. After three days on a dusty stand, a guest laundry makes a real difference to a four-night stay.
Early breakfast. Bump-in starts early. A breakfast option that doesn’t depend on a restaurant opening time helps.
Somewhere to brief the team. A meeting room or a quiet space for a morning briefing is useful for larger stands.
Flexible check-out on Sunday or Monday. If pack-down runs late, you won’t want to rush.

The organisers’ own accommodation list notes that on-site college accommodation is limited and that Maitland accommodation is about 15 minutes from the event. Rooms closest to Tocal go first, so exhibitors who book early have more choice.

Making a weekend of it

The event ends by late afternoon, which leaves evenings, and for many visitors an extra day, to fill. The area around Tocal is worth the time.

Paterson. The nearest village, with a small historic main street and river setting.
Morpeth. A former river port with a preserved heritage streetscape, cafés, specialty shops and the Morpeth Wine Cellars and Moonshine Distillery. About 15 minutes from Rutherford.
Central Maitland. The Levee and High Street, Maitland Regional Art Gallery and the Riverside Walk.
Hunter Valley wine country. The Pokolbin cellar doors are 20–25 minutes from Rutherford. Our weekend getaway guide has ideas for building a short break around wineries and food.

If you’re bringing children, the field days fit well with a wider Hunter break. Our family accommodation guide covers what to look for when you travel with kids.

Where to stay for Tocal Field Days

Accommodation right next to Tocal is limited, so most visitors and exhibitors stay in or around Maitland. That’s a sensible base. You get a short drive to the event, access to the shuttle from Maitland Station, and far more choice of places to eat in the evening.

Hunter Gateway Motel is in Rutherford, on the western side of Maitland beside the New England Highway, about 20 minutes’ drive from Tocal. It’s a practical base for both groups:

For exhibitors and trade teams - 63 ground-floor rooms with free on-site parking and space for larger vehicles. If you’re bringing a trailer, just let us know when you book. - Guest laundry, boxed continental breakfast packs and free Wi-Fi. - A conference room for team briefings. - Early check-in and late check-out on request, which helps on bump-in and pack-down days. - The Bradford next door for lunch and dinner, with meals that can be charged to your room. - Housekeeping on longer stays, and 2- and 3-night stay discounts. - If you’re booking several rooms for a team, email info@hunter-gateway.com.au and we’ll help you set it up.

For visitors and families - King, queen, twin and family rooms, plus wheelchair-accessible rooms. - A swimming pool for the end of a long day. - A small number of pet-friendly rooms if you’re travelling with a dog as part of a longer trip (see our pet friendly accommodation guide). Remember dogs can’t come to the event itself.

Field days weekend is one of the busier weekends of the year around Maitland, so it pays to book once your plans are settled.

Plan ahead

Tocal Field Days rewards a bit of planning. Go on Friday if you want room to move. Bring cash and leave the dog at home. Use the shuttle if you’d like a glass of wine. If you’re exhibiting, book your accommodation around bump-in and pack-down, not the public hours.

If you’re planning a visit to Maitland or the Hunter Valley for Tocal Field Days, Hunter Gateway Motel offers comfortable accommodation with convenient access to the event and the region’s major attractions.