The Waitomo Trail Run is kicking off next weekend. Photo / Hamilton and Waikato Tourism
The Waitomo Trail Run is kicking off next weekend. Photo / Hamilton and Waikato Tourism
And just like that, November is knocking on our door and bringing along a great mix of events to the Waikato.
Highlights include the Waitomo Train Run, the Pacific Rose Bowl Festival and the Armistice in Cambridge.
But before the new month sets foot in the region, there are acouple of events that are still waiting for their time to shine, including the Sika Show at Mystery Creek and the Waikato A&P Show at Claudelands Event Centre.
Other events include:
● Hamilton Kirikiriroa Festival of Weird, October 27 - November 5 at Garden Place, Hamilton
Join the Riff Raff Public Art Trust for a celebration of the local creative culture, with street theatre, music performances, installations, creative art, concept art and everything in between. This is a free event.
● Drag Bingo with Anita Wigl’it, October 27, 7pm at Ploughman’s Restaurant and Bar, 45 Charles Crescent, Taupō
Enjoy three competitive rounds of bingo with Anita Wigl’it, star of the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. Balls drop at 7.30pm, and the games will continue until around 9.30pm. Customers will be seated at shared tables. Tickets are available via Eventfinda.
Drag queen Anita Wigl'it will be in Taupō this weekend.
● The Science of Getting High, comedy show, October 28, 7.30pm at Nivara Lounge, Hamilton
Self-identified world’s dumbest doctor Jonathan Falconer seamlessly blends comedy with intriguing insights from the field of neuropharmacology. The show combines the fun of stand-up comedy with the captivating neuroscience of altered states and illusions. Tickets are available via Eventfinda.
● Marathon in a Month, cancer fundraiser, November
Do the equivalent level of exercise of a marathon, but spread it out across a month, all while doing good for the community. Swim, walk, run, skip or cycle and raise funds for the Cancer Society. More information is available at marathoninamonth.org.nz.
● Boon Street Art Festival, November 3-5 in Hamilton
Hamilton’s family-friendly street art festival is celebrating its eighth anniversary. This year, New Zealand artists Jesse Mosen, Cinzah, Gary Venn, Kell Sunshine and Alice Alva, as well as Japanese artist Koryu, are painting five murals in Hamilton East and two in the CBD.
● Freedom2Fly Fest, circus and dance festival, November 3-5, Freedom2fly Studio and Te Uku Hall, Raglan
This inaugural festival promises to be a fusion of artistry and movement. The programme includes performances by artists from Christchurch and Wellington. For more information, visit the event’s website.
● Waitomo Trail Run, sports event, November 4 from 7.30am, Waitomo Homestead, 584 State Highway 3, Waitomo
The annual event takes walkers, runners and children of all ages and abilities through caves, native bush, canyons and farmland. Registrations can be made online until November 3.
Kell Sunshine at the 2019 Boon Street Art Festival. Photo / Tim Carter
● Pacific Championships Men’s Cup final, rugby league match, November 4 at FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Witness history as the first champion of the Pacific is crowned - will it be Samoa, New Zealand or Australia? The gates open at 2.30pm, with the curtain-raiser set to kick off at 3pm. The championship final kicks off at 5pm. Tickets are available via Ticketek.
● Pacific Rose Bowl Festival, rose trial, November 9-12 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 other trials 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.
● Great Kiwi Summer Festival, November 11-12, from 9am at Lake Karapiro, 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 Road, Karapiro
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 out as a road race for some of NZ’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.
