What's On

Break perform on Wednesday and Thursday at the TelstraClear Pacific Stadium.

Festival

Kidsfair, the Children's Expo, takes over the Auckland Showgrounds this weekend. It's a great way to start the school holidays, with plenty of entertainment for the young ones and the young at heart. Parents can look at the latest child-related products on the market, while the youngsters have a ball at the Scooby Doo stage show. As well, there's a food festival and the latest in children's fashion. Proceeds to Koru Care.

KidsFair Children's Expo - ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane, July 1 to 3, 10am to 5pm. Adults $14, children 5-14 $6, under-5 free

Rock

The Schooner Tavern in Quay St is fast becoming one of the more exciting live rock venues in town. This Wednesday they get a visit from Brooklyn's The Fiery Furnaces. Brother and sister Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger have added a couple of members since they visited New Zealand last year. The band is touring to support their album Bitter Tea, which critics say is more accessible than previous work. Local support comes in the form of "rap and roll" duo Coco Solid and The Whipping Cats.

The Fiery Furnaces - Schooner Tavern, Quay St, July 5 with Coco Solid and The Whipping Cats The Fiery Furnaces - Schooner Tavern, Quay St, July 5, Quay St, July 5

Show

Windmills, flares, stalls, crazy legs, back flips, front flips, spiders. What are we talking about? Break, New York's hottest breakdancing crew will bust a move at the TelstraClear Pacific Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday. The production tells the story of hip-hop dancing and it's development. Expect bewildering physical agility and pumping music courtesy of an on-stage DJ. The show has been an international success story, having rocked across five continents. Check it out next week and you'll be lockin' and poppin' in no time.

Break - TelstraClear Pacific Stadium Manukau, July 4, 7pm, July 5, 2pm, adults $59, students $39, ticketdirect.co.nz

Acoustic

One of New Zealand music's rising stars performs on Wednesday at the Hopetoun Alpha, Auckland. Florence Hartigan burst on to our radar last year after success in the TV2 Songstar competition, which saw her go on to record with Don McGlashan and get nationwide radio play for her single Green. Hartigan will be backed by her band The Wayward 5 on the night, and Jason Kerrison of Opshop provides solid support. To quote the Exponents' Jordan Luck: "Do yourself a favour - listen to Florence Hartigan."

Florence Hartigan - Hopetoun Alpha, Beresford Square, July 5, tickets $30 through iticket.co.nz

Dance

If you thought Act leader Rodney Hide's dancing career was over, think again. Hide and Dancing With The Stars mate David Wikaira-Paul, plus other guests, will put their twinkletoes to the test once more on Saturday for Not Strictly Ballroom, a charity event at Harbourmasters on Waiheke Island. They will be joined by the band Rumors, and you, if you feel like a boogie. Let's hope Hide doesn't drop his partner.

Not Strictly Ballroom - Harbourmasters, Waiheke Island, Saturday, tickets $25. Proceeds to the Families Living with Cancer organisation

Family

Introduce the children to a new world these school holidays. Aside from all the usual attractions, Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World is running Mermaids and Sailors for the next two weeks. This includes art and craft sessions, salty tales from the resident storyteller, and the chance to meet a real live mermaid. Plus, youngsters dressed as sailors or mermaids get in free. Cute.

Kelly Tarlton's, 23 Tamaki Drive, Orakei to July 16

Comedy

It takes guts to get up in front of a room full of strangers and try to make them laugh. Throughout this year novice comedians have been doing just that as part of The Classic's Raw Comedy Quest series. On Saturday the best amateur jokers will perform at The Classic studio in a one-off gig full of fresh talent. It's hosted by Ash Kilmartin, pictured, who featured in three shows at the Comedy Festival. Check out comedy.co.nz for more shows at The Classic in Auckland's Queen St.

Best of Raw Comedy - The Classic, 321 Queen St, Saturday, 8.30pm, $10

Theatre

Critics say My Brother and I Are Porn Stars is twisted but funny and leaves no taboo unbroken. The cast and director hope to raise sufficient money to take the production to Britain, where they have secured a place at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The story is about Jackie and Jon (Jackie van Beek and Jonathan Brugh) who find themselves running the family porn business when their parents disappear. Beneath the humour there's a serious message about our modern view of sexuality and desensitisation to pornography. These shows are fundraisers to get to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

My Brother and I Are Porn Stars - Herald Theatre, June 28 to July 2, R18

Learn

Take a wander through the domain to the Auckland Museum's jam-packed Winter Family Festival. This year, there's love in the air at the Dinosaurs Alive show, something you will have to see to believe. Get to know Aotearoa a little better in the Storyspace area, where the tales of New Zealand's people, land and history are the focus. Or you could take a guided walk through New Zealand's natural history galleries. Oh, and don't forget Bring-a-Bug Friday - if you do, the curator will identify it for you.

Family Festival - Auckland Museum, July 1 to 16, visit www.aucklandmuseum.co.nz for details