Events in Waikato: Ukulele trio, Equifest part of event calendar

The Thin White Ukes are coming to Te Awamutu. Photo / Martin Philbey

● Boon Street Art Walking Tours, now until November 30, Central Library, 9 Garden Place, Hamilton

Explore the hidden and not-so-hidden gems of Hamilton Kirikiriroa. With over 60 murals adorning the streets and hidden alleyways, there is plenty of opportunity to venture off the beaten path and discover hidden gems.

● The Taste of Waikato, foodie event, October 11, 12.30pm and 6.30pm at The Red Barn, 5786 State Highway 29, Tirau

This five-course degustation lunch or dinner has a menu made entirely with produce from the Waikato. Tickets are available online via The Red Barn website.

● Pax Assadi - Secrets, comedy show, October 11, 7.30pm at Clarence St Theatre, Hamilton

Pax Assadi is coming to Hamilton to tell you something - but he needs you to keep it a secret. Can you do that? Then come to Clarence St Theatre, and he will share this secret with you in the form of standup comedy. Tickets online via Ticketek.

● One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, theatre performance, October 12-26, at Riverlea Theatre, Hamilton

Hamilton Playbox Theatre stages another all-time classic. When Randle Patrick McMurphy gets transferred for evaluation from a prison farm to a mental institution, he assumes it will be an easier environment than the prison farm. But the cruel Nurse Ratched runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist, keeping her patients cowed through abuse. The battle of wills between the rebellious McMurphy and the inflexible Ratched soon affects all the world’s patients and chaos descends. Tickets online via iTicket.

Equifest is back in Taupo.

● Elton John vs Billy Joel NZ tribute show, concert, October 12, 7pm at Clarence St Theatre, Hamilton

After sell-out shows across New Zealand in 2023, Cam and Sam return for another show dedicated to the greatest hits of Elton John and Billy Joel - like Piano Man, Rocket Man, Uptown Girl, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, We Didn’t Start the Fire and Bennie and the Jets. Expect astonishing costumes, two grand pianos, a lighting show and plenty of banter. Tickets online via Ticketek.

● Māreikura, theatre performance, October 17-18, 7pm at Clarence St Theatre, Hamilton

Presented by Tai Wananga, Māreikura is about the reconnection of one’s culture after a generation of loss. It is a story of reconnection, resilience and leadership, through the eyes of women. Tickets online via Ticketek.

● The Thin White Ukes - A Bowie Odyssey, concert, October 18, 7.30pm at The Regent Theatre, Te Awamutu

Australian ukulele trio The Thin White Ukes are on tour in Aotearoa for the first time, performing and reinventing the songs of David Bowie on acoustic strings and with three-part vocal harmony. Tickets online at theregent.nz.

● Equifest Taupō 2024, equestrian event, October 18-20 at Fiber Fresh National Equestrian Centre, 136 Rapids Rd, Taupō

Equifest is a three-day festival for all things equine. There are educational seminars with industry experts, competitions, nightshows and stalls with a wide range of exhibitors. Tickets online at equifest.co.nz.

● Thames Art Treasures & Textile Market, craft event, October 19, 9am at Grahamstown Community Centre, 768 Pollen St, Thames

The Grahamstown Community Hall will house a vibrant community of creatives that have come together to show and sell unique art, treasures and textiles. Items are original, handcrafted by local artists, and preloved treasures. Free entry.

● Kirikiriroa Hamilton Poetry Slam, October 19, 7pm at Central Library Te Koopuu Maania o Kirikiriroa, 9 Garden Place, Hamilton

Prepare yourself for three rounds of audience-judged original words from local performance poets. By the end of the night, Kirikiriroa will have a new local Poetry Slam champ who will represent the city at the National NZ Poetry Slam. Tickets online via Eventfinda.

● Richard O’Brien’s Kingdom of Bling, musical, October 26, 8pm, at Clarence St Theatre, Hamilton

Rocky Horror Show creator Richard O’Brien is back with a new satirical musical, The Kingdom of Bling. Starring O’Brien as The Narrator alongside an extraordinary ensemble cast, this cautionary tale has the wacky hallmarks of Rocky Horror while featuring giants, a menacing fox, trolls, and the king of the land - the obnoxious “The He”. The musical is backed by a stonking rock band. All royalties will go to the Starship children’s hospital. Tickets online via Ticketek.

● The Young Virtuosi, classical concert, October 30, 7.30pm at Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts, Hamilton

The Young Virtuosi is a violin and piano ensemble formed by International Violon Competition 2023 winner Yeyeong Jenny Jin and Sydney International Piano Competition 2023 winner Jeonghwan Kim. For this tour, the pair have chosen a repertoire including Frédéric Chopin’s Grande Polonaise Brillante and Camille Saint-Saëns’ Violin Sonata in D minor, Op. 75.