A traditional Indian dance performed at the 2022 Diwali mela. Photo / Indian Cultural Society (Waikato) Inc.
The weather this weekend looks very promising and so does the event calendar!
This weekend is jam-packed with free events, like horse racing at Te Rapa, the Te Awamutu annual craft fair and the Waikato Diwali Mela.
A further highlight will be the Armistice in Cambridge event that’s going to be held in conjuction with the Great Kiwi Summer Festival.
Events include:
● Pacific Rose Bowl Festival, rose trial, now until November 12 at Rogers Rose Garden, Hamilton Gardens
This annual Rose of the Year trial is the only rose trial in the world that has a public voting system - all others are judged by panels of experts. Members of the public are invited to come along to the rose garden and vote for their favourite 10 roses. This is a free event.
● Dick Dynamite & The Doppelgangers -The Crypt Daddies, rock-n-roll concert, November 10, 8pm, at Last Place, Hamilton
Dick Dynamite & The Dopplegangers return to their hometown of Hamilton from a tour in the UK for a night of rock’n’roll bangers. This is an R18 event. Tickets via eventfinda.
● Te Awamutu Annual Craft Fair, November 11, 9am, at Selwyn Park, 1 Gorst Avenue, Te Awamutu
The fair with over 100 stalls of New Zealand-made arts and crafts, food and music by Rowdy’s Rose would be a great opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done. Free event.
● Legacy Lodge Sprint Raceday, horse races, November 11, 12pm, at Te Rapa Racecourse, Ken Browne Drive, Hamilton
Hamiltonians are invited to watch a speedy competition that features the $50,000 Legacy Lodge Sprint which is a listed race run over 1200m. Free event.
● The Fresh and the Furious 2023, roller-skating derby, November 11, 9.30am at Taupō Events Centre, 26 AC Baths Avenue, Taupō
Taupō Roller Derby League, Kapiti Coast Derby Crew and Remutaka Roller Derby from Auckland will be skating it out in Taupō this weekend. Entry by gold coin donation.
● Plant Extravaganza, plant expo, November 11, 9am-3pm at The Barn Claudelands, Gate 3 Brooklyn Rd, Hamilton
Hamilton plant lovers are invited to a family friendly day of all things plant and gardening. The expo will feature stalls of indoor plants, outdoor gardening, landscaping, pots, planters and accessories. Event also includes food trucks and face painting. The entry fee is $5, kids under 12 are free.
● Fair Share Market, eco workshop, November 11, 9am-12pm, at 88 Commerce Street, Frankton Hamilton
Gardeners, thinkers, crafters, and environmentalists are invited to come together and share their skills and knowledge and learn new resourceful skills. Free event.
● Waikato Diwali Mela, cultural celebration, November 11, 4pm, Innes Common, Lake Domain Drive, Hamilton
The Indian Cultural Society Waikato invites the community to the 33rd Waikato Diwali Mela. Free event.
● Great Kiwi Summer Festival, November 11-12, from 9am at Lake Karāpiro, Maungatautari Rd, Cambridge
A free family day out with non-stop entertainment, have-a-go sessions, demonstrations and a showcase of all the essentials for a great Kiwi summer.
● Armistice in Cambridge, commemoration event, November 11-12 at Mighty River Domain, 601 Maungatautari Rd, Karāpiro
The annual Armistice in Cambridge is the largest armistice event of its kind in New Zealand. The programme includes battle re-enactments, vehicle parades and activities including archery, airsoft target shooting, WWII jeep rides and driving an RC tank. This is a free event.
● Lugton’s Round the Bridges, sports event, November 12 from 8.25am, Garden Place, Hamilton
Established in 1945 by the Hamilton Harrier Club (now Hamilton City Hawks), the event started as a road race for some of New Zealand’s top athletes. Nowadays, the event welcomes people of all shapes and sizes, from primary school students right through to running legends. Entries can be made until November 12.
● Em, theatre performance, November 18, 7.30pm at The Meteor Theatre, Hamilton
Em is a queer retelling of Jane Austen’s masterwork Emma by award-winning playwright Sam Brooks, turned around, flipped and set in Queenstown. This reading will be performed by a mixture of locals and out-of-town talent. Free event.
● Freestyle Kings, stunt show, November 19, 4pm FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Australian freestyle motocross team Freestyle Kings are going on a two-year world tour and New Zealand is the first stop. Tickets via Ticketek.
A second person trapped on the cliff was rescued by emergency services.