Go To A Rummage Sale & More Good Things For The Weekend

Browse some vintage finds

Vintage label Love James is bringing its line to Wellington for a two-day pop-up collaboration with luxury intimates brand Underlena. Love James, known for its vintage bridal and statement pieces, curates collections "with celebration in mind".

Founder Lizzie Langridge says that the return to Pōneke is a “full circle moment” for her, as it’s where she studied fashion and business. “Maxine Kelly [founder of Underlena] and I bonded over our joint entrepreneurship journeys; setting up businesses to fill a much-needed gap in the market. For Maxine that was somewhere to shop for high-quality, luxury intimate items. We both run our businesses on the side of our full-time jobs at present, so it’s exciting to collaborate with other women in business.”

The Love James x Underlena Pop-Up will be hosted in the Underlena showroom this Saturday and Sunday by appointment only. To book your private session, go to Lovejames.co.nz

Support the restoration of St James theatre

Did you know there is a near-abandoned theatre located in along Lorne Street? An open letter that calls to revive St James theatre, built in 1928, has been penned by MP for Auckland Central, Chlöe Swarbrick.

The letter calls for support from Ministers for Arts, Culture and Heritage to match Auckland Council's funding contribution to giving new life to this historic performing arts space. You can show your support for the restoration here.

Celebrate Melanesian cultures

The first Melanesian Festival Auckland is happening this Saturday at Waitemata Rugby Club Grounds. Dance, art, culture and food from across Melanesia will be on offer from 9am to 6pm. Entry is free and it is recommended that visitors bring cash to use at the various vendors that will be on site.

Join the Fashion Assembly Hui Auaha o Aotearoa

The Fashion Assembly Hui Auaha o Aotearoa, as part of the Global Fashioning Assembly, is being held through a mixture of online and in-person talks and workshops this Friday to Sunday. Engage with kōrero to learn more about decolonising fashion and understanding the links between fashion and our identity. There will be practical workshops throughout the event, so attendees are encouraged to bring along items to mend and upcycle. In-person events will be held at the Central City Library in Auckland's CBD, and streaming will be available for those out of town. Tickets are available from Eventbrite.com

Start your engines!

Join the queens of seasons 1 and 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under at their Auckland show tonight. After postponing the show scheduled for earlier this year, the queens are back for the Down Under Tour at Spark Arena. Whether you are a long-time fan of the show or are just interested to see what the hype is all about, it's sure to be a lot of fun. The show starts at 8pm, and tickets can be purchased from Ticketmaster.co.nz

Find a bargain

This Saturday, recycled clothing store Tatty's is hosting a rummage sale at the Auckland Old Folks Association from 10pm to 2pm. Everything is $5, so gather a couple of friends and be ready to rummage for a great find. Free coffees from Supreme will also be on offer. Remember to bring a reusable bag for your bargains.

Vote for your favourite bird

If you thought all the voting chatter and dinner-table debates were to cease once the local body elections had run their course, think again, because it’s time for Bird of The Year Te Manu Rongonui o te Tau, Forest and Bird’s annual avian election a hotly discussed event that aims to raise awareness of vulnerable native birdlife.

Aligning with wider discussions around democracy and representation, Forest And Bird has stated that its focus this year is on underbirds, like the pōpokotea.

To spotlight these lesser-known candidates, historic favourite the kākāpō has been removed from the ballot (it won twice in the past) and last year's dark-horse winner or rather bat the pekapeka-tou-roa, isn't in the running either. Voting is now open, closing 5pm Sunday, October 30. The winner will be announced Monday, October 31. Birdoftheyear.org.nz

Learn about design

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Semi Permanent, the veritable smorgasbord of inspiring talks.

Held at St James Theatre in Wellington, explore a programme with presentations by fashion designer Karen Walker, Huffer founder Steve Dunstan, Brooke Roberts and Elaina Hamilton of Sharesies, Yah-Leng Yu and Arthur Chin of renowned Foreign Policy Design Group, Netflix’s vice-president of product Tom Yellin, and more.

Eminent writer Patricia Grace, director Briar Grace-Smith and artist Miriama Grace-Smith will be discussing how their creative practices converge and diverge, and industrial designer Danny Coster (who helped design an array of products at Apple, including the original iMac) will be running a workshop. October 19 to 21. Tickets are available from Semipermanent.com

BOOK AHEAD

Peak into the hidden gardens of Te Henga

On Saturday, November 19, the Bethells Te Henga Rural Garden Ramble fundraiser opens the gates for guests to tour the gardens of the Bethells area in support of Hospice West Auckland.

Eight gardens will be open for viewing, with both guided tours or go-it-alone options available. The properties host a range of styles, including cottage, modern, exotic and native collections. Tickets are $45 and support a good cause. Learn more at Tehengaramble.wordpress.com

Have a long lunch

A long lunch in a secret location awaits this November 5 as part of Hawke’s Bay’s popular bi-annual food and wine festival F.A.W.C and we’re talking a proper, leisurely meal, over five hours.

The Grand Long Lunch is billed as a luxurious, lingering experience set in a stunning secret location, with five courses devised by five leading chefs, all matched to Hawke’s Bay wines.

Designing the menu is Regnar Christensen from Black Barn Bistro, Casey McDonald from Craggy Range Winery, Wellington’s Hayden McMillan, of Floriditas, Auckland’s Glen File of Onslow, and Leslie Hottiaux of Apero. Tickets are $275 per person, available from Fawc.co.nz. Get it while it’s hot.