The soon-to-be-cool neighbourhood of Uptown.
Diwali is bigger and better than ever this year with two days filled with the sights, sounds and tastes of Indian culture over Aotea Square, Aotea Centre and Queen St. Food, dance and art from more than 100 performance groups, 64 food and craft stalls, parades, debates, rickshaw rides and more.
Saturday, Sunday noon to 9pm, Aotea Square.
In case you were wondering, there's a new quarter in town called Uptown - that soon-to-be-cool neighbourhood around the top of Symonds St-Mt Eden. Hope that one sticks. Auckland's roving street food party has moved up there with the finest food trucks serving up great street food: Food Truck, Dip It, Stumpy's Pizza, Dixie BBQ, Go Go Mexico, Banger Boys, Tiger Burger, Tin Kitchen, Acho, Langos and Real Good Brownies - plus there will be DJs.
Saturday, 11am-4pm. Uptown, 226-228 Symonds Street.
Dig out your pinkest, brightest outfit and walk in support of the Estee Lauder Pink Star Walk, a Breast Cancer Foundation fundraiser. Stacey Morrison MCs this twilight walk through the Domain, Parnell and the CBD to help support women with breast cancer.
10km walk starts at 5.30pm, 5km walk starts at 6.10pm. Saturday, Auckland Domain.
Auckland's favourite neighbourhood arts festival, Whau Real Arts Festival has the maddest collaborations including local boy racers, live-tattooing and a soul samba circus - there'll even be a blacksmith working on site. Plus there are gigs at the RSA, a community theatre show based on the stories of Avondale shopkeepers and a live lip-sync battle.
Saturday and Sunday, the Urban Plantation.
Maybe too soon to be in your actual togs, but get yourself in the mood with the opening of 'At the Beach: 100 years of summer fashion in New Zealand' celebrating beach fashions since the early 1900s at the Maritime Museum (along with New Zealand Fashion Museum).
You'll fall in love with those sundresses, playsuits, towelling hats and cover-ups, Hawaiian shirts and more from New Zealand names you may have forgotten about. Curator walk on Sunday.
Until February 8, Maritime Museum.
New book, New Zealand’s Best Gourmet Pies, features 38 unique pies and their origins.