The 2016 autumn festival, which last year marked its 30th anniversary, will be organised by a new committee and new director and will run from April 21-25.
Traditionally, the festival has spanned two weekends.
Festival co-ordinator Pip Norton said the committee felt condensing the festival would help make every event successful.
''Not everything made a profit [previously].
''Sometimes, it's good to renew a festival and ... get everybody behind it and make it a real community thing.''
One of the casualties of the condensed programme was the sellout Art2Wear event - Arrowtown's answer to Wellington's World of Wearable Art (WOW) - which had traditionally been held on the second Friday and Saturday of the 10-day event.
But, Ms Norton said, it was not a case of saying goodbye to it forever.
''We're thinking of ... making that every second year, so you can get the mystery going and people can really think about it.''
While the event was still in the planning stages, festival staples such as the street parade, community market and Pie and Pint Festival would remain.
There would also be new additions to the calendar, including ''a big event for all the community and visitors on the Saturday night''.
It would conclude with Anzac Day commemorations on April 25, organised by the RSA.
Ms Norton is an event manager who moved to the area in March from Wellington.
She also has experience with community events in Yorkshire.
