Summer has well and truly arrived and with international travel not an option, more Kiwis than ever before are exploring their own backyards. To help you on your explorations we have compiled a mega list of some of the events and activities available in Tauranga and the surrounding area.
Saturday, December 26-30 11am: Black Caps v Pakistan, first test match. Bay Oval, Blake Park, Kawaka St, Mount Maunganui. The New Zealand test side will look to maintain their impressive home form in a two-match series against Pakistan, starting with the Boxing Day test.
Saturday, December 26 to Tuesday, January 5 6-10pm: Mount Summer Carnival. Tauranga Memorial Park. Enjoy for the first time the Flying Dragons Swinging Chairs, along with favourites like the Dodgem Cars, Hurricane, Ferris Wheel, the Extreme Turbo Boost, Hot Dogs, Candy Floss, Carnival Games and more. Free entry - just pay for the rides/games you want to try.
Sunday, December 27 7-11am: The Eves Surfbreaker Triathlon. Main Beach, Marine Parade, Mt Maunganui. This triathlon breaks from the tradition and has the swim leg at the Mount Main Beach in the surf. The event celebrated 35 years in 2019 and some great names of New Zealand Triathlon have won here.
Sunday, December 27 7-8.30pm: Soak'n Sounds Sundays. Mount Hot Pools, 9 Adams Ave, Mt Maunganui. Unwind and finish your week in style with a relaxing soak and live music poolside at the Mount Hot Pools. See Facebook page for the full line-up.
Sunday, December 27 5.30-8.30pm: Dinner in the Park. Matua Park, Hall Road, Matua, Tauranga. Dinner in the Domain's equally delicious spin-off Dinner in the Park. Bring the family down for a variety of delicious street food, beverages and live music.
Black Caps bowler Tim Southee celebrates after picking up the wicket of England's Sam Curran. Photo / File
Sunday, December 27 9am-1pm: Mount Farmers Market. Te Papa o Nga Manu Porotakataka, 123-141 Maunganui Rd. A diverse range of local artisans and purveyors present some of the finest fresh produce, breads, pastries, oils, chutneys, relishes, eggs, plants, seedlings, honey, fresh cut flowers, lettuce and herbs, and even something for our four-legged friends plus other delicious seasonal edibles from the region.
Monday, December 28 5-9pm: Gourmet Night Market. Coronation Park, Maunganui Rd. Bring your friends and family and relax to live music, pick from local food trucks and bask in the sunshine. Bring your favourite picnic blanket or deckchair.
Wednesday, December 30 7-10.30pm: Night Owl Cinema - Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. Simpson Reserve, cnr Parton and Dickson roads, Pāpāmoa East. The popcorn machine will be in full swing, bring your beanbags, the kids and enjoy the magic of The Night Owl Cinema. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Fireworks at The Strand last New year's. Photo / File
Thursday, December 31 6-9.30pm: New Year's Eve Community Celebration. Waterfront, Tauranga City Centre. Celebrate New Year's Eve with family and friends. Enjoy bands, roving entertainment, sports activities, food trucks and a local radio MC to host. Free and picnic friendly. Fireworks at 9.30pm.
Thursday, December 31 6-9.30pm: New Year's Eve Community Celebration. Gordan Spratt Reserve, Pāpāmoa. Celebrate New Year's Eve with family and friends. Enjoy bands, roving entertainment, sports activities, food trucks and a local radio MC to host. Free and picnic friendly. Fireworks at 9.30pm.
Thursday, December 31 6-9.30pm: New Year's Eve Community Celebration. Tauranga Racecourse, Greerton. Celebrate New Year's Eve with family and friends. Enjoy bands, roving entertainment, sports activities, food trucks and a local radio MC to host. Free and picnic friendly. Laser light display at 9.30pm (due to the horses that live onsite).
Thursday, December 31 6-9.30pm: New Year's Eve Community Celebration. Fergusson Park - Matua, Tauranga. Celebrate New Year's Eve with family and friends. Enjoy bands, roving entertainment, sports activities, food trucks and a local radio MC to host. (Low sensory event to be held from 5.30pm-6pm.) Free and picnic friendly. Fireworks at 9.30pm.
The Little Big Markets, Mount Maunganui. Photo / File
Thursday, December 31 6-9pm: New Year's Eve Community Celebration. Blake Park, Mount Maunganui. Celebrate New Year's Eve with family and friends. Enjoy bands, roving entertainment, sports activities, food trucks and a local radio MC to host. Free and picnic-friendly. Fireworks at 9.30pm.
Thursday, December 31 8.30pm-1am: Kaleidoscope NYE 2020. Our Place, 91 Willow St, Tauranga. This event is set in an outdoor/weather-proofed gig venue in the heart of Tauranga. It is bursting with coloured-shipping containers and Kaleidoscopic prisms, and hosts High Tide, and food from the Bay's favourite street food vendors.
Thursday, December 31 9pm-12.30am: Iveta & Simone. The Phoenix, 67 The Strand, Tauranga. Iveta and Simone are New Zealand's edgy female vocal duo taking the region by storm with tracks such as Psycho Baby, More Than A Man, L.O.V.E., Weeping and the newly released Black Rainbow.
Thursday, December 31 8pm-12am: Crawdaddy. Jack Dusty's Ale House, 50 Bureta Rd, Tauranga. Crawdaddy combines the talents of local band, The Silver Beats, with two of Tauranga's well-known seasoned musicians, Trevor Braunias and Andy Craw.
Friday, January 1 5-9pm: Gourmet Night Market. Coronation Park, Maunganui Rd. Bring your friends and family and relax to live music, pick from local food trucks and bask in the sunshine. Bring your favourite picnic blanket or deckchair.
Saturday, January 2 9am-2pm: The Little Big Markets Mount Maunganui. Coronation Park, Maunganui Rd. With a huge range of gourmet street food and food truck vendors, as well as a curated selection of stallholders, you won't be short of things to do. There'll be live music and lots of activities to entertain the little ones.
The crowd waiting to see Cardi B at Bay Dreams last year. Photo / File
Sunday, January 3 11am-10.30pm. Bay Dreams. Trustpower Arena Baypark, Tauranga. New Zealand's biggest music festival returns to Tauranga. Featuring some of New Zealand and Australia's hottest acts.
Sunday, January 3 7-8.30pm: Soak'n Sounds Sundays. Mount Hot Pools, 9 Adams Ave, Mt Maunganui. Unwind and finish your week in style with a relaxing soak and live music poolside at the Mount Hot Pools. See Facebook page for the full line-up.
Sunday, January 3 5.30-8.30pm: Dinner in the Park. Matua Park, Hall Road, Matua, Tauranga. Dinner in the Domain's equally delicious spin-off Dinner in the Park. Bring the family down for a variety of delicious street food, beverages and live music.
Sunday, January 3 9am-1pm: Mount Farmers Market. Te Papa o Nga Manu Porotakataka, 123-141 Maunganui Rd. A diverse range of local artisans and purveyors present some of the finest fresh produce, breads, pastries, oils, chutneys, relishes, eggs, plants, seedlings, honey, fresh cut flowers, lettuce and herbs, and even something for our four-legged friends plus other delicious seasonal edibles from the region.
Shihad frontman Jon Toogood. Photo / File
Tuesday, January 5 8-10pm: Jon Toogood. Totara St, 11 Totara St, Mt Maunganui. Rock 'n' roll lifer Jon Toogood is gearing up to deliver a night of songs and stories at venues across Aotearoa this summer. Alongside classic Shihad tunes, punters can expect to hear Jon's take on some of his favourite songs of all time.
Wednesday, January 6 7pm-12am: Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez. Totara St, 11 Totara St, Mt Maunganui. Fresh off a one-year sabbatical, Arthur Ahbez makes his return to society in the blistering heat of January for a summer tour. Ahbez took leave of NZ mid-2019 to explore the primeval lands of Eastern Europe. Ahbez made new tracks in his development as a musician and songwriter, and now eagerly awaits to share the fruits of his labour.
Wednesday, January 6 to Sunday, January 10 Mount Comedy Festival. Mount Social Club. The pursuit to find the Mount's hottest new comedian. Twelve acts from all over New Zealand competing to get in the big final on Sunday, January 10 and a $1000 first prize.
Friday, January 8 5-9pm: Gourmet Night Market. Coronation Park, Maunganui Rd. Bring your friends and family and relax to live music, pick from local food trucks and bask in the sunshine. Bring your favourite picnic blanket or deckchair.
Friday, January 8 7-10.30pm: Night Owl Cinema - Mamma Mia! The Movie. Mount Drury Reserve, Mt Maunganui. The popcorn machine will be in full swing, bring your beanbags, the kids in their PJ's and enjoy the magic of The Night Owl Cinema. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Saturday, January 9 9am-2pm: The Little Big Markets Mount Maunganui. Coronation Park, Maunganui Rd. With a huge range of gourmet street food and food truck vendors, as well as a curated selection of stallholders, you won't be short of things to do. There'll be live music and lots of activities to entertain the little ones.
Jewles McKenna with her dog Luna at the Original Gypsy Fair in Pāpāmoa. Photo / File
Saturday, January 9 to Sunday, January 10 9am: The Original Gypsy Fair - Established 1990. Memorial Park, Devonport Rd, Tauranga. For more than 30 years in its current format, The Original Gypsy Fair has been travelling New Zealand and will be back at Memorial Park for the 17th fair of the 2020/2021 season.
Saturday, January 9 to Saturday, January 16 7pm: A Very Terrible Show. 16th Avenue Theatre, Tauranga South. The One-off Theatre Crew (a group of young theatre nerds) presents A Very Terrible Show as their first and most likely last show. Sam, Finn and Poppy are a group of unlikely roommates, embarking on an adventure in their new home of New York City. This play follows their highs and lows of trying to 'make it big' in music, acting, and on Wall Street. However, there is a slight twist.
Sunday, January 10 7-8.30pm: Soak'n Sounds Sundays. Mount Hot Pools, 9 Adams Ave, Mt Maunganui. Unwind and finish your week in style with a relaxing soak and live music poolside at the Mount Hot Pools. See Facebook page for the full line up.
Sunday, January 10 5.30-8.30pm: Dinner in the Park. Matua Park, Hall Rd, Matua, Tauranga. Dinner in the Domain's equally delicious spin-off Dinner in the Park. Bring the family down for a variety of delicious street food, beverages and live music.
Sunday, January 10 9am-1pm: Mount Farmers Market. Te Papa o Nga Manu Porotakataka, 123-141 Maunganui Rd. A diverse range of local artisans and purveyors present some of the finest fresh produce, breads, pastries, oils, chutneys, relishes, eggs, plants, seedlings, honey, fresh cut flowers, lettuce and herbs, and even something for our four-legged friends plus other delicious seasonal edibles from the region.
Thursday, January 14 Page and Pub Poetry - Michael Botur with Tauranga poets. The Jam Factory, 17th Ave, Historic Village, Tauranga. Michael Botur brings his powerful page and pub poetry to Tauranga, supporting and inspiring local poets.
Northland writer Michael Botur. Photo / File
Thursday, January 14 10am-12.30pm: Youth creative writing workshop - become a young author. The Artery Art Learning Space, The Incubator, The Historic Village, Tauranga. Award-winning indie author and poet Michael Botur will be delivering a down-to-earth workshop to introduce youth to fiction writing.
Friday, January 15 5-9pm: Gourmet Night Market. Coronation Park, Maunganui Rd. Bring your friends and family and relax to live music, pick from local food trucks and bask in the sunshine. Bring your favourite picnic blanket or deckchair.
Friday, January 15 to Sunday, January 17 Ladies Fishing Competition. Te Puna Hunting and Fishing Club, 15D Minden Rd, Te Puna, Tauranga. This competition is open to women of all ages, whether land-based or boat fishing, novice or experienced, local or from far and wide. Prizegiving will be held from 3pm on Sunday at Top Shot Bar.
Saturday, January 16 7-10.30pm: Night Owl Cinema - Jumanji - The Next Level. Mount Drury Reserve, Mt Maunganui. The popcorn machine will be in full swing, bring your beanbags, the kids in their PJ's and enjoy the magic of The Night Owl Cinema. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Saturday, January 16 9am-4pm: 3x3 Quest Tour. Harbourside Netball Centre, Maunganui Rd. This dynamic basketball discipline, also known as street ball, brings the skills of 5-aside basketball outdoors in a fast-paced format that's easy to play. Entry is free and open to players of all ages.
Koben Turner in action at the 3x3 Quest Tour streetball basketball competition. Photo / File
Sunday, January 17 7-8.30pm: Soak'n Sounds Sundays. Mount Hot Pools, 9 Adams Ave, Mt Maunganui. Unwind and finish your week in style with a relaxing soak and live music poolside at the Mount Hot Pools. See Facebook page for the full line-up.
Sunday, January 17 5.30-8.30pm: Dinner in the Park. Matua Park, Hall Road, Matua, Tauranga. Dinner in the Domain's equally delicious spin-off Dinner in the Park. Bring the family down for a variety of delicious street food, beverages and live music.
Sunday, January 17 9am-1pm: Mount Farmers Market. Te Papa o Nga Manu Porotakataka, 123-141 Maunganui Rd. A diverse range of local artisans and purveyors present some of the finest fresh produce, breads, pastries, oils, chutneys, relishes, eggs, plants, seedlings, honey, fresh cut flowers, lettuce and herbs, and even something for our four-legged friends plus other delicious seasonal edibles from the region.
Sunday, January 17 3.30-5.30pm: Paint and Wine Summer Series - Sunset at the Mount. Our Place, 91 Willow St, Tauranga. The concept is simple - take a brush in one hand, a drink in the other and paint a masterpiece.
Sunday, January 17 2-4pm: Take your writing off the page- creative writing workshop. Greerton Library, 139 Greerton Rd. Exploring off-the-page ways to spread your writing. Author Michael Botur delivers a guest workshop supporting Tauranga Writers. Koha/donation entry, thanks to Creative BOP and TECT.
