👋🏼 Hello Hamilton

Wait until you see everything happening on Sunday. It’s packed with events!

It’s me again - Ben from Hamilton East 👋🏼 - and today we’re covering the best things happening in Hamilton, some live music to check out over the weekend, and news headlines you can’t miss. First time reading? Join over 5,200 Hamiltonians here.

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🎟️ Events on in the Tron this week

Les Mills Free Outdoor Grit Cardio Class | Thursday 6th from 6:00pm at Innes Common. Everyone is welcome, not just Les Mills members so bring your friends and family and give it a go. Info.

Cinema improviso presents: The Fast and The Furious | Thursday 6th from 7:00pm at Mesoverse. An innocent man on the run from the law. A fiery lady racer. A race to the Mexican border. Thrills and spills from the 1954 Roger Corman racing film. What madness will unfold? You help decide. Info.

Drag B-I-N-G-O with Anita Wigl'it | Thursday 6th 7:00-9:00pm at Lucky Finns. Three competitive rounds of bingo, fantastic prizes, a whole lot of laughs, and of course a drag show. Tickets.

Quiz Night at The Keg Room | Thursday 6th 7:00-9:00pm at The Keg Room. Five rounds of big-screen trivia that's not too hard, not too easy, but includes content that relates to you and your crew. Info.

Pray Waikato | Thursday 6th 7:30-9:00pm at Clarence Street Theatre. A powerful night of prayer and worship uniting churches from across the region. Info.

The Mad Ones musical | Friday 7th 7:30-9:00pm at The Meteor. The critically acclaimed o-Broadway hit musical makes its New Zealand debut with an exclusive three-show run in Hamilton. Tickets.

Plant Extravaganza | Saturday 8th 9:00am-2:00pm at The Barn Claudelands. Heaps of stalls including indoor and outdoor plants, unique crafts, plant & garden accessories, gifts, flowers, seedlings, machinery and more. Info.

Tease & Tassels Burlesque | Saturday 8th 7:30-11:00pm at Nivara Lounge.

Run the Runway | Sunday 9th 6:00-8:00am at Hamilton Airport. Iconic Hamilton event where participants can enjoy a traffic free 5km run/walk/jog. Tickets.

Frankton Thunder 2025 | Sunday 9th 9:00am-3:00pm at in Frankton. Cars and military, motorbikes, steampunk, tattoo comp, market stalls, kids entertainment, and more! Info.

Pats in the Paddock | Sunday 9th 10:00am-12:00pm at Hayes Paddock. Bring your dogs and whaanau down for a morning of free fun. Running near Wellington Street Beach, including live music, a scavenger hunt, prizes and giveaways, and stalls by local dog-related businesses and Bike Waikato. Info.

Glenview Autumn Market | Sunday 9th 10:00am-2:00pm at The Glenview Club. Car boot sale, arts and crafts, and food. The Club kitchen is open from 11am with a brunch menu. Info.

Medieval Faire | Sunday 9th 10:00am-2:00pm at Hamilton Gardens. An opportunity to cross papers during the event, along with a spot of hobbyhorse jousting, all surrounded by things medieval as a fundraiser for Hamilton's proposed Baroque Garden. Info.

Flea Market | Sunday 9th 10:00am-2:00pm at 999 Heaphy Terrace. Clothing, Brick-a-Brac, honey, plants, books, DVDs, general household items, tools and plenty more. Info.

Girl Powa Cave Experience | Sunday 9th 10:00am-3:30pm at Karamu Caves. Only one of two operators allowed to access these caves, explore this fascinating underworld formed millions of years ago with your daughter. Tickets.

Festival of Colors - Waikato Holi | Sunday 9th 11:30am-3:30pm at Whitiora School. Paint the town colourful with love and laughter at the 2025 Color Dash. Colour splash, rain dance, music, food, and activities for the kids. Registration.

High Tea at Thyme Square | Sunday 9th from 3:00pm at Thyme Square. An afternoon High Tea in honor of International Women's Day. Mingle and chat in High Tea fashion and talk to the women walking across Japan for the work of DFN. Info.

Gourmet In the Gardens | Sunday 9th 4:00-8:00pm at Hamilton Gardens. Come along with the whole family and listen to the local live music while dining from the lineup of local food trucks. Info.

3 Bucks Left Comedy | Sunday 9th 7:00-10:00pm at Nivara Lounge. Get ready for a night of laughter and unforgettable comedy the legendary Irish group bring their raucous show. Tickets.

The Big Bike Film Night | Monday 10th 6:00-8:40pm at Lido Cinema. Showcasing 2.5 hours of riveting bike films that have everything a cycle-centric audience could want – action, drama, humour, and plenty of inspiration. Tickets.

International Women’s Day Quiz Night | Monday 10th from 7:00pm at The Cook. Grab a few friends and join an evening filled with drinks, kai and a lot of laughs at The Cooks weekly Monday Quiz. Register.

Wednesday Lunchtime Recital: Eternal Romance | Wednesday 12th 1:00-2:00pm at Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts. Experience the passion and drama of opera, operetta, and art song. Info.

Paintvine In the Park - Aoraki | Wednesday 12th 6:00-9:00pm at Hamilton Gardens. Sit in the sun and paint the day away. In this sunny two-hour painting session, you’ll take on the techniques of acrylic’s lead by expert Paintvine artists. Tickets.

Hamilton Festival of Weird 2025 | Thursday-Wedesday in Garden Place. Celebrating our vibrant creative scene, taking over public spaces and places with everything from cringe to fringe arts. Info.

Always double-check event details haven’t changed since you received this email. Did I forget anything? Flick me an email.

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🎶 Live music across Hamilton

Biddy Mulligans | TIMbuCK3 | Thursday 6th.

Hamilton Workingmens Club | Che Orton | Friday 7th from 7:00pm. Info.

Nivara Lounge | Ash Sales with Darz Keefe | Friday 7th from 8:00pm. Tickets.

Last Place | Seamouse With Guests | Friday 7th from 8:00pm. Tickets.

Amuse at Skycity | Celine & The Doctor | Friday 7th from 8:00pm.

Te Whare Tapere Iti | Groove Café | Saturday 8th 3:00-4:00pm. Tickets.

Last Place | Wax Mustang | Saturday 8th from 6:00pm. Tickets.

Amuse at Skycity | Double Standards | Saturday 8th from 8:30pm.

Biddy Mulligans | Bad Boys | Saturday 8th.

Nivara Lounge | Speakeasy Jazz Monthly | Sunday 9th 2:00-5:00pm. Info.

Biddy Mulligans | Blues Jam | Sunday 9th.

Last Place | Ukelele Death Squad | Wednesday 12th 7:00-10:00pm. Tickets.

Missing a show? Email me so I can get my act together!

👀 Hamilton headlines you may have missed

More of city's great white walls about to gain some colour as Boon Street Art Festival returns. The upcoming 2025 festival, from March 13 to 16, will be a much more interactive affair than in years past, with a “help paint a mural” event, a 10th birthday shindig, a kids’ design a mural competition, workshops, and even a silent disco adding to the fun. Read.

Big shake-up coming for busy central city street as planning for new five-star $100m Pullman Hotel takes shape. The changes to Ward St include a new two to three vehicle loading zone area with a five-minute limit outside the current Chemist Warehouse - guests will be able to park their cars there before they’re taken away promptly by a valet parking service. Read.

Waikato mayors are throwing their collective weight behind calls to extend council terms from three to four years. It’s an issue in the spotlight after the Government announced it will introduce legislation to enable a four-year parliamentary term, although it’s not yet clear if that change will actually happen. Read.

Commerce Commission files charges against Pak’nSave Mill St over potential breaches of the Fair Trading Act. The commission alleges the supermarket engaged in misleading specials and inaccurate pricing. Read.

A steer running loose near Hamilton (Rotoroa) Lake caused injuries and damage to people and property last week. "A steer had got a bit stirred up and managed to jump the wooden rails. It broke several of the rails and got out of the saleyards, and just kept on running. Some people tried to stop it but it got away." Read.

🚧 Roadworks this week

• Cobham Drive / State Highway 1C (from Wairere Drive to the Melville Skate Park, and from Tristram Street to the Cobham Drive Bridge) and Normandy Avenue (from Bader Street to Cobham Drive) will be closed between Monday 3 March to Sunday 16 March, from 8pm–5am for road resurfacing.

• The vehicle access gates to Rotoroa Drive, through Hamilton Lake Domain, will close earlier than usual on Sunday 9 March at 8pm for overnight road repairs. The road will reopen as usual at 5am on Monday 10 March.

• Karen Crescent remains closed in one direction at a time until Saturday 8 March, from 7am – 6pm for footpath repairs. All traffic should enter through Lethborg Street. 

• The entire length of Pamela Place remains closed until late-March, for footpath and kerb renewal work.

• The entire length of Arthur Place will be closed until Monday 31 March from 7am – 6pm, for footpath and kerb renewal work.

Thanks for reading Hello Hamilton. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who should check out one of those many Sunday events!

Have any suggestions for what you would like to see in future editions? Reply to this email ([email protected]) and let me know! I’d love to hear from you.

See you next Thursday.

— Ben