Here are a few ideas to keep you entertained throughout October if you are studying abroad in New Zealand. The What’s On is curated each month by our local staff across the country. Current students can check their inbox for the full digest.
Auckland
Be Pure Live Well Festival [$15 at the door]
When: Oct 15-16 from 10am
Where: The Cloud, Queens Wharf, CBD
The event features a wellbeing expo that includes food stalls, chill out zones, product stands and presentations from experts in a number of health and wellbeing fields. Visitors can also experience the calming holistic centre, leading breathing and meditation workshops throughout the day.
2016 Auckland Diwali Festival
When: Oct 15-16 from 12pm
Where: Aotea Square, Queen St, CBD
Diwali is a traditional and contemporary Indian culture festival free to the public.
Expect live music, dance, street theatre and puppetry performances, food and craft stalls, the hotly contested Radio Tarana Bollywood dance competition and rangoli workshops.
Mexfestival [$12 for students]
When: Saturday Oct 29 from 8:30am – 10pm
Where: The Cloud, Queens Wharf, CBD
Mariachi, Aztec dance performance, Mexican folk dance, delicious authentic Mexican food (including famous and traditional drinks), arts & crafts, make-up artists, contests, a great Day of the Dead Altar Exhibition and much, much more.
MOTAT Masquerade – What Lies Behind The Mask? [$25 door sales]
When: Saturday Oct 29 from 7-11pm
Where: MOTAT (Museum of Transport & Technology), 805 Great North Rd, Western Springs
Celebrate Halloween with MOTAT’s annual Olde Hallows Eve event.
Throughout history, people have used masks to hide their identity and to transform into someone/something else. Explore the idea of ‘the other’ with sound, light, music and monsters at MOTAT this Halloween. Dress up encouraged!
Palmerston North
Thursday Night Street Feast – Food Truck Winter Bliss
When: Every Thursday in July from 5pm
Where: The Square, The Square, Palmerston North
The Thursday Night Street Feast is a welcoming world gourmet street food event with no pretensions. Sample the sights, smells and tastes of a global food village and be treated to live local entertainment in the heart of Palmerston North.
Feilding’s Wild Wild West Rural Day
When: Friday Oct 7 from 9am – 2pm
Where: Manchester Square, Manchester St, Feilding
The day will include; Live Sheep Painting, Petting Farm, the annual Business Gumboot Race through the Saleyards and town, ending at the Clock Tower, Wild West Photo Booth, static displays and farm demonstrations: sheep shearing, rope, and butter making, ride a Bucking Bull, plus coach, tractor, and pony rides, see the Rough Riders Trick Horse Show, free Saleyards Tours (group bookings only). Plus the Fielding Farmers’ Market is held every Friday, rain, hail or shine.
RJ’s Licorice 21st Birthday
When: Friday Oct 7 from 6am – 1pm
Where: RJ’s Licorice, 5 Tiro Tiro Rd, Levin
RJ’s Licorice turns 21 and plans to celebrate with a Guinness World Record breaking attempt at creating the world’s largest licorice all sort. The event will feature the world record breaking attempt alongside free giveaways, food, music, and free samples.
Show Me Shorts Film Festival [$10 at the door]
When: Saturday Oct 22 from 2pm
Where: Regent Theatre, 64 Main St, Pahiatua
Show Me Shorts is New Zealand’s leading international short film festival. We work to connect New Zealanders with the best short films from here and around the world; celebrate excellence in short film making and foster the New Zealand short film community.
EnviroFest
When: Sunday Oct 23 from 1pm
Where: Palmerston North Central Library, 4 The Square
EnviroFest is a festival of new and existing projects which increases awareness about environmental sustainability in a positive and enjoyable way, aimed at the whole Palmerston North community, from various backgrounds, education and income levels.
Halloween Train [$4 at the station]
When: Monday Oct 24 from 6-9pm
Where: Esplanade Scenic Railway, Victoria Espalande, Park Rd
The Esplanade Scenic Railway is back scarier than ever this Halloween with themed rides running on Monday the 24th.
Wellington
Thorndon Farmers Maket
When: Every Saturday in October from 8:30am – 12:30pm
Where: Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, 45 Molesworth St, Thorndon
Come along on a Saturday morning and pick up all you need in the way of local produce. The selection includes Vegetables, chocolate, cheeses, olive oils, knife sharpening, nuts, seasonal fruit, nuts, community fundraising stalls and great coffee!
NZ Pop-Up Sauna [$8]
When: Daily in October from 4-9pm on weekdays and 12-9pm on weekends
Where: Taranaki Wharf Diving Platforms
Come kick back in the NZ Pop-Up Sauna on the Wellington waterfront.
The sauna seats 15 and has a large window allowing you to take in views of the harbour as you sit, warm up, and relax. We provide changing stalls, drinking water and a warm outdoor shower as well. Bring a swimsuit, towel, and $8 to check out this one-of-a-kind pop-up event.
Pop Up Village
Where: Sept 30 – Oct 11 daily from 11am – 5pm
When: Frank Kitts Park, Jervois Quay
The Underground Market Pop-up Village is a select group of artist studios and design shops in colourful shipping containers which pops up over the Wellington Region. They showcase the talent of creative Wellingtonians. Art, clothing, home wares! They have it all.
Show Me Shorts Film Festival Wellington Opening Night [$20 at the door]
When: Thursday Oct 13 from 8pm
Where: Embassy Theatre, 10 Kent Terrace, Mt Victoria
Show Me Shorts Film Festival invites you to celebrate local winners and watch all the award-winning films at the opening of the Wellington season. This event brings together Wellington short film makers and short film enthusiasts to toast our community’s best and brightest.
Bollywood Night Out
When: Oct 21-22 from 6pm
Where: Wellington Night Market, 116 Cuba Street, Lower Cuba Street
Celebrate Diwali Festival early with contemporary and traditional Indian music and dancing, food and art. Activities including Henna tattoo. For Wellingtonians, it is a great chance to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the Indian sub-continent without leaving the city.
Wellington Diwali Festival of Lights [Donation entry]
When: Sunday Oct 23 from 1:30-9:30pm
Where: TSB Bank Arena, Queens Wharf
India’s best-loved festival, Diwali symbolises the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and the renewal of life. To celebrate, families light small oil lamps (diyas) around the home and set off fireworks. Join in the festivities for a taste of authentic Indian culture at Wellington’s 15th Diwali Festival of Lights.
MIA Latin Festival 2016 [$3 entry at the door]
When: Saturday Oct 29 from 11am – 4pm
Where: Wellington High School, 249 Taranaki St, Mt Cook
The MIA Latin Festival showcases Latin American artists, performers and artisans as well as having food stalls from different countries, like Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and more. There will be Latin American folk dance performances by Danza MIA and lots, lots of music.
Christchurch
Friday Street Food Market [FREE entry]
When: Every Friday in July from 11am – 9pm
Where: Cathedral Square, Cathedral Square
Every Friday more than 20 of the city’s best food trucks and food stalls descend upon Cathedral Square from 11am until 9pm. Live entertainment, buskers, jugglers and fire dancers plus much more.
New Brighton Seaside Market [FREE entry]
When: Every Saturday from 10am – 2pm
Where: New Brighton Pedestrian Mall, Brighton Mall, New Brighton
Come down to the seaside and enjoy, live entertainment, great food, fresh produce, arts, crafts, jewellery and more.
Spring Carnival
When: Friday Sept 30 – Sunday Oct 9 from 11am – 5pm
Where: New Brighton Village Green, Marine Parade
Check out the carnival at the Marine Parade!
CultureFest 2016 [FREE entry]
When: Saturday Oct 15 from 10am – 4pm
Where: Rolleston Corner of Jones and Hoskyns Road, Rolleston, Selwyn
CultureFest aims to celebrate Selwyn’s growing diversity by showcasing the variety of cultures and ethnic groups now discovering Selwyn as a great place to live, work and play! CultureFest 2016 will showcase everything great about our growing diversity through fantastic group performances on our main stage representing India, China, Russia, Italy, Ukraine.
FESTA 2016 Headline Event: Lean Means [FREE etnry]
When: Saturday Oct 22 from 5-11pm
Where: Christchurch central 62 Gloucester Street
Free and open to all, Lean Means is FESTA’s headline event – a spectacular temporary city packed with large-scale installations, performance, markets, food, bars, music, art and more.
Show Me Shorts Film Festival [$15 for students]
When: Thursday Oct 27 – Nov 2
Where: Alice In Videoland, Cnr High St and Tuam St
Show Me Shorts Film Festival invites you to celebrate local winners and watch all the award-winning films at the opening of the Wellington season. This event brings together Wellington short film makers and short film enthusiasts to toast our community’s best and brightest.
Dunedin
Vogel Street Party [FREE]
When: Saturday, Oct 8 from 3-10pm
Where: Vogel Street
Show your dancing pants off at the Silent Disco. Get some grub from local food trucks. Test your skills in Glow in the Dark Mini Golf. Definitely not a day to miss.
Art and Future: Energy, Climate, Cultures Symposium [FREE]
When: Oct 14 from 9am-5:30pm and Oct 15 from 9am-1pm
Where: P152 Lecture Theatre, Riego St, Otago Polytechnic
Following seven successful symposia held at the Dunedin School of Art, from ‘Illustrating the Unseeable: Reconnecting Art and Science’ (2009) to ‘Art and Design’ (2015), the Dunedin School of Art, together with the Centre for Sustainability and the Centre for Science Communication at the University of Otago, is organising an eighth symposium entitled ‘Art and Future: Energy, Climate, Cultures.’
The Extravaganza
When: Oct 22-24 from 9am-5pm
Where: The Oval
Arts, crafts and interesting market stalls – Herbal remedies & natural perfumes, heaps of funky clothing including revamped and retro, jewellery like you’ve never seen before – sliver, beaded, fashion, ethnic! Crystals, massage, poi & trick stix fun, open ‘Tiny Home’, Blacksmith working live, before your eyes, tattoo, piecing, green stone, henna, paper art, posters, we’ve got it all going on!
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
When: Sunday, Oct 30 from 10am
Where: Dunedin Gasworks Museum
You are all invited to the Mad Hatters Tea Party in conjunction with the Otago Heritage Festival. Donations welcome.
