The Parnell Rose Gardens are in full bloom this weekend for the Parnell Festival of Roses.
The Parnell Rose Gardens are in full bloom this weekend for the Parnell Festival of Roses.
Break away from the routine and immerse yourself in one of the many real life events taking place from Manukau to the North Shore this weekend.
Everyone’s busy all the time. The human condition of the 2020s is defined by the swing between an endless list of places to be, things to do and countless wasted hours spent mindlessly scrolling through a device. If your weekend has a window for vacuous scrolling, replace throwing time into the cyber-abyss with one of the many real life events happening in Tāmaki Makaurau this Saturday and Sunday – from festivals to fundraisers to an all singing, all dancing Lord of the Rings.
1) Birdcare Aotearoa Film Fundraiser – Avondale
We think someone at Birdcare Aotearoa has a mischievous sense of humour choosing Alfred Hitchcock’s avian-horror The Birds for a fundraising film screening this weekend and we’re here for it. On Sunday, the wild bird hospital and rehabilitation centre will screen The Birds at The Hollywood Avondale to raise money for its work rehabilitating injured and unwell birds, educating New Zealanders on how to care for and protect our bird populations, and conducting avian research. The charity, which relies solely on donations, grants and sponsorship, can receive up to 100 birds in need each day. Get yourself tickets for this rare opportunity to see a Hitchcock classic on the big screen and know you’re supporting an exceptionally good cause while you’re at it.
Where: The Hollywood Avondale, 20 St Georges Rd, Avondale, Auckland.
Price: Tickets $25 + booking fees hereVisit for more information.
Birdcare Aotearoa has picked Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds for a fundraising film screening at the Hollywood Avondale. Photo / Eva Cadario
2) Parnell Festival of Roses – Parnell
The Parnell Rose Gardens are turning it on this weekend for their annual Festival of Roses. Along with the main attraction – the gardens in full breathtaking bloom – there are live performances, food trucks, craft stalls, a farmer’s market and family-friendly activities. Returning is the Upcycle Garden Challenge, in which schools have been charged with designing and creating an upcycled garden that will be on display at the festival for the public to vote on. For the keen gardeners among you, there’s a cutting and seed swap to participate in. We’re crossing our fingers and toes for decent weather so that Aucklanders take up this opportunity to enjoy the vibrancy of the more than 5000 roses in the gardens. If it’s a scorcher, you could tack on a dip at the Parnell Baths, which have just opened for the summer.
Where: Dove-Myer Robinson Park, Parnell, Auckland.
Price: Free.
3) Houstoun & Eroica - Manukau
This Saturday evening you can see one of Aotearoa’s greatest living pianists perform with the Manukau Symphony Orchestra for their final concert of the year. Officially retired, Michael Houstoun plays with the MSO just once a year and this is it. Saturday’s repertoire includes Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture; Beethoven’s Symphony No.3 “Eroica” and Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No.2, in which Houstoun will play the piano solo that Shostakovich composed for his son in 1957. Eroica, often considered the first romantic symphony, is an epic masterpiece and one of Beethoven’s most innovative and celebrated works. Bound to be an evening of virtuosic musical talent, the concert is a worthy finale to a superb year of classical music in South Auckland by the MSO.
When: November 9, 7.30pm.
Where: Due Drop Events Centre, 770 Great South Rd, Manukau.
Price: Tickets $15-$70 + booking fees from herez or on the door.
New Zealand pianist Michael Houston will come out retirement for one night only to perform an extensive repertoire with the Manukau Symphony Orchestra. Photo / Dean Zillwood
4) Digital Seniors Tech Expo - Wairau Valley
If you’ve ever found yourself staring at your phone or computer and thought “that’s it, this is beyond me, I’ll never learn how to use that”, then Sunday’s Digital Seniors Tech Expo might be just what you need. The inaugural event is the brainchild of not-for-profit senior tech support organisation Digital Seniors and aims to introduce older people to the myriad new technologies that could drastically improve their lives and help expand their technological capabilities. There’s a broad range of products and services being showcased at the expo, including assistance with internet banking, online safety, TV streaming, financial planning, smart wheelchairs, AI that detects signs of illness, dementia support technologies, robotic pets, smart homes and more. There’s a speaker series, workshops, free hearing tests, food, plenty of parking and seating on site. Don’t let the speed at which technology is moving overwhelm you; head over to Eventfinda Stadium on Sunday and let Digital Seniors and their partners help you ride the wave into your digital future.
When: November 10, 9am - 4pm.
Where: Eventfinda Stadium, Argus Place, Wairau Valley, North Shore.
Price: Free entry and parking. Visit for more info and to register.
The Digital Seniors Tech Expo is the perfect event for introducing the world of smart technology to older family members and friends. Photo / 123rf
5) Reuse Market – Auckland CBD
The season of over-consumption and environmental irresponsibility is upon us but here’s one way to reject everything the TV and social media advertising is trying to sell you: head down to the ReUse market on the ground floor of the Victoria St Carpark – not to be confused with Victoria Park Market, which is on the other side of town. The monthly market launched earlier this year and has been growing ever since. You never know what you might find there – from vintage treasures and pieces of Kiwi nostalgia to secondhand clothing, toys, homewares and bric-a-brac. Creative gifters might find just the bits and bobs they need to hand-make a unique present and bakers could find some interesting vessels to gift their cookies, cakes and treats in. Save money and give the gift of thoughtful repurposing to your loved ones and the planet this year.
When: November 10, (and the second Sunday of each month) 10am-2pm.
Where: Victoria St Car Park, 30 Kitchener St, Auckland City.
Price: Free entry and for this month only free to sell. Visit the Reuse Markets Facebook page for more information.
Victoria Street Car Park hosts a Reuse Market on the second Sunday of each month. Photo / Auckland Council
6) Culley’s Smoke & Spice Festival – Auckland CBD
BBQ season has arrived and this Saturday is the perfect opportunity to get inspired for all that summer sizzling you plan to do by checking out Culley’s Smoke & Spice Festival at Shed 10. There are two sessions – afternoon and evening – both loaded with BBQ food trucks, cooking demonstrations, masterclasses, artisan food vendors, live music and, for reasons that remain somewhat of a mystery, live wrestling and arcade games. Alongside Culley’s, the festival is supported by Jack Daniels so you can enjoy your smoky, spicy, greasy, meaty treats with your choice of beverage from the Jack Daniels BBQ Bloody Mary Bar. It’s suitable for the whole whānau with children under 10 entering for free.
Price: Tickets start at $42.98 + booking fees from here.
Culley's Smoke & Spice Festival will be held at Shed 10 on Saturday.
7) Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale - Auckland CBD
It’s fair to say that nobody asked for this but nevertheless the Lord of the Rings trilogy has been turned into a live musical and, by many accounts, it’s actually very good. The production has arrived here in Middle-Earth after premiering in Chicago earlier this year and will subsequently continue on to an Australian tour. Told from the perspective of the hobbits, Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale has an exceptionally talented cast, sophisticated staging including some creative puppetry and Tolkien’s epic story to lean on. It’s on for several weeks at the Civic and would make an excellent early chrissy pressie for the LOTR fans in your life.
When: On now until December 1.
Where: Civic Theatre, Queen St, Auckland Central.
Price: Tickets start at $79 + booking fees from here.
Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale has taken over the Civic Theatre until December 1. Photo / Rich Hein 2024
Plan Ahead: How To Art - Auckland CBD
Theatre can be many things: from Shakespeare to Cats to A Streetcar Named Desire to two bruised bananas duct-taped to the wall at an art exhibition. The latter is the jumping off point for the debut production by multi-disciplinary performance collective Rugrats, called How to Art. Opening on Tuesday, the show fuses physical theatre, clowning, object design and film in a funny, thoughtful and sometimes silly exploration of the commodification of art and the impact of capitalism on creativity. Its creators Katie Burson and Georgie Llewellyn are all too familiar with the increasingly challenging landscape for theatre-makers and creatives in general seeking to make a sustainable career in the arts. How to Art sees these two bananas questioning their identity, purpose and value in a completely unique, truly creative theatrical production.
Price: Tickets on a Choose What You Pay basis from here.
How to Art is a genre-bending show that explores the commodification of art and the impact of capitalism on creativity. Photo / Leilani Heather
Plan Ahead: Camping - Auckland CBD
No, this is not a call to get your summer camping plans in order - if you haven’t done that by now, good luck to you. Camping is the name of an incredibly funny and somewhat risque show opening on Thursday at Q Theatre that stars four of Aotearoa’s most beloved comedians: Chris Parker, Tom Sainsbury, Kura Forrester and Brynley Stent. Originally devised by its cast for the New Zealand International Comedy Festival back in 2016, Camping returns with an updated script but just as many shenanigans. It tells the tale of two couples who arrive at a bach for a romantic getaway only to find it’s double booked. Trapped together as a storm rages outside, the sexual tension in the holiday house rises rapidly and the two couples find themselves in a raunchy love square that changes the trajectory of all of their lives.
