What’s On: Inner-City Ice Skating, A Book Market & More Good Things For The Weekend

Have a cosy night of socialising with a ‘meet a mate’ mingle, and browse some second-hand reads at an adorable Ponsonby bookstore.

Skate in the centre city

Auckland CBD’s Aotea Square will host the Paradice rink, welcoming ice skaters of varying skill levels to enjoy an evening on skates, along with food trucks and an above-the-ice light installation. The rink will be open every day from 10am until late at night, from June 30 to August 6.

See an exhibition

Gus Fisher Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition exploring a wide range of artistic responses to the figure of the witch, in indigenous Aotearoa and European lineages. She could lie on her back and sink is a multimedia exhibition, including film, photography, installation and performance. Water is treated as the unifying force among the group, though each engagement offers a unique perspective. One of the pieces playing in the exhibition is The Whirlpool, a mesmerising film that captures a ballerina moving underwater, which was captured in 1997 by film-maker Jayne Parker. It also becomes a complex reference point due to its association with historical trials for witchcraft. The exhibition closes on August 26.

Tour a book market

The adorable Ponsonby book store The Open Book is set to host a backyard market this weekend, welcoming keen readers for a ponderous stroll. Not only will there be second-hand books up for sale, but you can tour items from crafters, creatives and books. These markets open up every first Saturday of the month, so you could add this one to your list of market touring in Auckland. Head along to The Open Book at 201 Ponsonby Rd from 10am to 2pm.

The Wellington-based singer, rapper and producer Rei, also known as Callum McDougall (Ngāti Raukawa), continues The Matariki Tour this weekend, showcasing tracks from his latest album Ariki. That high-concept album experiments with spoken interludes and a blend of genres (including pop, rap, reggae, drill and R’n’B) all in te reo and collaborations with four-piece NZ pop band Drax Project and pop artist Olivia Foa’i. The artist will tour the dancey tracks nationwide, playing Pōneke this Saturday, before moving on to Tauranga, Tāmaki Makaurau, Waiheke, Lyttelton and Queenstown at later dates.

Head to a mingle

Crushes Social Club, the event-organising extension of Karangahape Rd store and curio favourite Crushes, is back to host a cosy night of socialising, welcoming friends to Meet a Mate at the relaxed, multi-purpose hub East Street Hall space, a kind of bar-hall-cafe hybrid just off K Rd. Guests will be invited for a sit and chat (there will be some low-stakes prompts to get conversations flowing), with some free drinks and food. The event starts at 6pm on June 30.

Enjoy an exhibition

A showing from artist and weaver Shona Tawhiao is currently being exhibited at Te Uru in Titirangi. Pākākano contains sculptural pieces inspired by seedpods, a renewing force for life, as well as the works of the artist’s Nanny Nunu, Tawhiao’s great-great-grandmother Marara Maihi. Tawhiao says of the exhibition: “Like whakapapa, these perfectly designed sculptural vessels deliver precious cargo that takes the past to the future, in the present.” Pākākano is open until September 3 at Te Uru Gallery, Titirangi.

Stroll a vintage market

The George Court Building on Karangahape Rd welcomes a pop-up market today, which will house a curated collection of vintage and designer garments and accessories. The small market has been brought together by personal stylist and shopper Anoushka Van Rijin and the sellers of Silly Billy and Vintage Hustle. Tonight, you’ll also be able to enjoy drinks and nibbles amongst the racks of hand-selected pieces. Head along from 6pm to 9pm to get your fill of social, second-hand shopping. The market is open from 10am to 9pm today, from 10am to 6pm tomorrow and 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Book ahead

New Zealand pop-rock band Hans Pucket will set off on their nationwide tour next week, bringing the toe-tapping tunes of their record No Drama to venues all around the country. The album explores melodramatic feelings of nervousness and misery with a cheeky tone, making some contemporary anxieties feel communal and approachable. Titles like ‘You Must Chill’, ‘My Brain is a Vacant Space’ and ‘Drag Me Through Your Heart’ give over to vibey tempos, while playing with fretful themes. As Taite Music Prize nominees and winners of Te Rōpū Mariu (Favourite Group) at the 2022 Student Radio Network Awards, Hans Pucket will be a local act you won’t want to miss.

Hans Pucket will take No Drama on tour from July 7 until August 11. The band will start with a gig in Nelson and wrap up in Whanganui, after hitting the stage in Queenstown, Dunedin, Auckland, Hamilton and Gisbourne, among other spots along the way. Tickets are available from Undertheradar.co.nz.

Book in for a festival

Takapuna Winter Lights is set to return in tandem with Elemental AKL this July. The North Shore will welcome art installations, live musical performances and dance showcases from local high school students. Visitors can explore interactive light shows along Hurstmere Rd and Hurstmere Green, and enjoy some dinner at nearby food trucks. There are also some ticketed events running throughout the festival, including an immersive audio hīkoi, a light-based wine tasting, an Agatha Christie play and a seated musical evening at seafood-centric Regatta Bar and Eatery. The festival runs from July 27 to 30.

Check out a film festival programme

This week, in an announcement that has delighted film buffs across Tāmaki Makaurau, the Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival has revealed its full programme. There are 129 full-length films and seven short film collections set to show across six venues, including The Civic, Academy Cinemas and the Hollywood Avondale, among others. Nine of those films will celebrate their premiere at the festival, including Ms. Information, a documentary following Dr Siouxsie Wiles during the heights of the Covid pandemic; King Loser, a film following a major 90s surf-grunge band; and Home Kills, a dead-pan comedy shot set in small town NZ.

Anatomy of a Fall, a courtroom drama directed by Justine Triet, is set to open NZIFF on July 19. The film won the 2023 Palme d’Or, the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. Viva will also partner with the festival to present Carmen, a reimagining of a classic opera about two star-crossed lovers, set around the America-Mexico border.

Tickets for the Auckland showings go on sale on July 4. The Tāmaki Makaurau run will open on July 19 and close on August 6, before the festival heads to Ōtautahi Christchurch, Ōtepoti, Gisbourne, Kirikiriroa Hamilton, and other regions across the motu.