Events to mark Waitangi Day in Hamilton will be held in the city centre.
Supported by Hamilton City Council, Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa and Te Puni Kokiri, the city's official Waitangi Day events will start at 7am, beginning with a whakatau.
Mayor Julie Hardaker will formally open proceedings at Civic Square at 7am, while representatives of Tainui and local ethnic communities will also speak.
From 9am, celebrations move to Garden Place. An interactive workshop, Te Tiriti o Waitangi today, will discuss the relevance of the Treaty to New Zealanders, and will be hosted by the Waikato Anti-Racism Coalition. The workshop runs from 9am until 11.30am.
From 10.30am to 2pm, ethnic crafts will be on sale from Weave, a collective of craftspeople, with live music and dance from 11am, with local reggae groups Zifire, The Spiritz and The Children of Jah, plus dance troupes Bfam, resample and Imperious.
Ms Hardaker says Waitangi Day is a day to celebrate our past and our future, and an opportunity for different cultures in Hamilton to celebrate together.
