Kia ora! As always, there is a whole lot going on in this edition. Enjoy, my friends, and I’ll see ya out there.

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First time here? I’m Ben from Pukete 👋🏼 Join 10,000+ Hamiltonians here. Want more? Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Join our Dinner Club. Contribute to keep this thriving. Partner with us.

Have you booked your seat yet? The dinner bell is ringing! Our next Dinner Club is happening next Wednesday 18th March at 5:30 and 6:30pm.

Now’s the time to commit to something exciting, or take a small step outside of your comfort zone - we’ll match you with five other Hamiltonians for an evening of good food and fun conversation. 🕺

Bookings close tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm before the matching process begins. So go on, get amongst it!

It’s been a week since we launched The Hamilton Map, and we have already heard some amazing feedback. Have you grabbed yours yet?

A truly Hamiltonian piece of artwork that looks beautiful on your own wall, as a thoughtful gift, or as a feature in a retail or hospitality setting.

It’s kiwi designed and locally printed. Only sold through Hello Hamilton to our community. All proceeds directly contribute to keeping Hello Hamilton free for everyone and thriving. 🤝

p.s. congratulations 🥳 to Max Coyle, who won our prize draw for a free map!

💪 Les Mills Open Week | Thu 12th - Sun 15th at Les Mills. Been wanting to try out a gym? Check out Les Mills’ free open week with everything included such as weight training, unlimited classes, sauna use and more. Register.

Life Drawing | 12:20pm at St Peter’s Cathedral. Join the longest running LEO Life Drawing group in Hamilton to study human anatomy and gesture of short and long poses. Tickets.  

🥂 Baroque Beginnings Fundraising Dinner | 6:00 - 10:30pm at The Pavilion, Hamilton Gardens. Join a special evening supporting Hamilton Gardens' next chapter. Featuring: Anna Mowbray, entrepreneur and Zuru founder, in conversation with Lucy Ryan, plus a live and silent auction. Includes a three-course dinner and wine service. Book. 

🕺 Jim Beam Present: The Pre Party | 7:00 - 11:55pm at The Factory. Kick the weekend off right at the Official Jim Beam Pre Party, bringing big tunes, good energy, and all the right vibes to start things strong. Tickets.  

Master Frank Fu w/ Gideon Voon and Corey Friedlander | 9:00pm at Nivara Lounge. Master Frank Fu headlines Nivara Lounge on Friday 13 March, with Gideon Voon and Corey Friedlander opening with their instru-metal project, plus guests to be announced. Tickets.

Fair Share Market | 9:00am - 12:00pm at Western Community Centre. Crop swap from 9 to 10am, craft swap from 10 to 10:30am and repair co op from 10am  to 12pm. Join in and have fun! Info.  

❤️ Fairfield Enderley Community Festival | 9:30am - 2:00pm at Fairfield College. Come to the inaugural FERN festival, featuring local bands, food trucks, community providers, and students from the Fairfield Schools. Info.  

🙌 Bridge to Homegrown | 10:00am at Claudelands Bridge. Expect a lively, walkable space packed with festival energy, food trucks, activities, and a safe, direct route across the river. No Homegrown ticket required whether you are heading to the festival, meeting friends or simply enjoying the atmosphere. Info.  

Bridge Demonstration | 10:30am - 12:30pm at Rototuna Library. Hamilton Bridge Club will be hosting demonstrations. Come along to see how it’s done and learn how to play Mini-Bridge if you are up for the challenge! Info.  

🎶 Jim Beam Homegrown 2026 | 1:00 - 11:00pm at Claudelands Oval. With five massive stages featuring New Zealand’s biggest names in Roots, Reggae, EDM, Rock, Pop & Hip Hop; there really is something for everyone. Tickets.  

Burlesque - Assorted Delights | 6:00pm at Biddy Mulligans. Strut into a world dripping with glamour, tantalising allure, and jaw-dropping performances. Tickets.   

🍎 Farmers' Markets at the Lake | 8:00am - 12:00pm at Innes Common. Come and support local and do your weekly fresh shopping and have a coffee, brunch and a picnic on the lawn by the lake. BYO your own rugs! Info.  

Babywearing Down Under Week Walk | 10:00am at Hamilton Gardens. Come for a relaxed babywearing walk around Turtle Lake at Hamilton Gardens. Afterwards enjoy a picnic where babies can roll around on mats and parents can relax, chat, and get support with carrier fit. Info.  

💿 Waikato Record Fair | 11:00am at Biddy Mulligans. Biddy's is hosting another record fair featuring records, CDs, tapes and music memorabilia. Info. 

Little Morning for your Little Ones | 10:00am - 12:00pm at Chartwell Shopping Centre. Join for a fun-filled adventure at Little Morning where children can enjoy hot air balloon-themed crafts, games, and activities, thanks to Enchanted Entertainment. Info. 

📖 Storytime Puaawai | 10:30am at Central Library.  Storytime is a fun-filled preschool programme tailored specifically for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. Info.  

🏏 White Ferns & Blackcaps v South Africa - T20I | 2:45pm at Seddon Park. Don't miss your chance to see the Blackcaps and White Ferns take on the Proteas in a blockbuster double-header. Tickets.  

🍀 St Patricks Evening Gathering | 6:00pm at The Cook. A wee gathering on St Patrick's Evening to celebrate Irishness from 6pm for all those Irish groups in the Waikato from dancing to business & farming. Info.  

🎭 Merry Wives of Windsor Production | Tue 17th - Fri 20th 6:30pm at Hillcrest High School Auditorium. Hillcrest High School students are performing The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare. Hillcrest High School students are performing The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare. They’ve modernised the script and the setting and look forward to welcoming you to Windsor Bay! Tickets.  

No Tears on the Field - Q&A Screening | 6:30pm at Lido Cinema. In New Zealand’s heartland, teams of aspiring female rugby players must shatter glass ceilings both on and off the field to achieve their improbable dream of international glory. Tickets.  

🧖 O-Studio Open Day | 4:00 - 8:00pm at 18 London St. Whether you’re curious about a float or sauna, want to try Pilates, or simply want to see what the studio is about, come check it out. Info.  

No Boys Allowed - Tabletop Role-Playing Games | 6:00pm at YWCA. Join for an evening of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) designed especially for women, trans women, and non-binary/genderqueer folks. Register.  

The Bookbinder | Wed 18th - Sat 21st 7:00pm at The Meteor. The Bookbinder weaves shadowplay, paper art, puppetry, and music into an original dark fairytale in the vein of Coraline and Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell. Tickets.  

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Introduction to Scottish Social Dancing | 7:00pm at YWCA. Join for a lively, beginner-friendly introduction to Scottish social dancing. Five week introductory course - No experience needed, no partner required, no pressure. Info.  

Quiz Night | 7:00pm at Iguana Restaurant and Bar. Quiznzuk is a family entertainment business focusing on creating quizzes for local hospitality businesses, charities and more. Info.  

The Harmonic Resonators | 7:00pm at Clarence St Theatre. Get ready for an unforgettable evening of music, laughter, and heartwarming connection with Aotearoa’s favourite whānau band The Harmonic Resonators. Tickets.  

Hamilton Speed Dating | 7:00pm at Biddy Mulligan’s. Get ready for a night of fun and connection at Hamilton's hottest speed dating event! For ages 26 - 44. Tickets. 

🎵 Snake Oil Peddlers | 8:00pm at Nivara Lounge. Snake Oil Peddlers are stoked to announce a night of loud, riff-heavy live music at Nivara Lounge! Info. 

Amanaki and Shuv-it (Release Shows) | 8:00pm at Last Place. Both unique hardcore forces are teaming up for two shows in the North Island to celebrate their respective releases. Tickets. 

🪅 Fiesta | 7:00am at Innes Common. Make the most of this magical week by getting up early to join in the fun at Innes Common, Hamilton Lake. There is nowhere better to see the balloons up close, inflate and fly off and then enjoy the fun with Hamilton City Council. Info.  

🌈 International Colour Day | 8:00am at Matariki Terrace, Te Awa River Ride. Come to the Te Awa parkrun wearing as much colour as possible. Whether it’s rainbow socks, bright tutus, colourful capes, bold face paint or simply your most vibrant running kit, let’s turn the river path into a joyful burst of colour. Info.  

Massive Theatre Company Free Foundations Workshop | Saturday and Sunday 10:00am at Gallagher Academy. This free two-day workshop offers theatre training for young people aged 15-25 years. Suitable for all levels of experience, this workshop is led by two professional teaching artists from the Massive teaching team, Ebony Andrew & Tom Webster. Info.  

👶🏻 Lenny’s Toddler Techno Tour 2026 | 11:00am at Claudelands Event Centre. In 2026, Lenny Pearce is bringing his globally renowned Toddler Techno Tour back home! Tickets.  

ZURU Nightglow | 4:00pm at Waikato University. Come experience the glowing hot air balloons, live entertainment, and the iconic Nightglow finale that lights up the Hamilton sky. Tickets.  

Wellathlon | Saturday and Sunday at Hamilton Gardens. Wellathlon at Hamilton Gardens is a fresh take on wellness – a relaxed “triathlon” of movement, music and mindfulness set within the beautiful surroundings of Hamilton Gardens. Tickets.  

Bic Runga: Red Sunset Tour | 7:00pm at BNZ Theatre. New Zealand music icon Bic Runga announces the release date of her much-anticipated new album, Red Sunset. Tickets.  

🤣 Guy Williams Live | Saturday and Sunday at the Meteor. Guy Williams returns to Waiheke for the first time in ages with his new show: "Rich People Are Stealing From You And Blaming Brown People And Trans People And Some People Believe Them Aaahhhhhh!". Tickets.  

Hot Air Balloon Cash Grab and Flying Morning | 7:00am at Innes Common. Watch as pilots put their skills to the test, navigating their balloons to snatch a prize from a pole mid-flight. Can they pull it off? Come see for yourself. Info. 

Volcano: A Science Comedy Show | 7:00pm at Waikato Museum. Join scientist-turned-comedian Ben Miller for a hilarious hour exploring volcanoes, Hawaiian history, and more. Tickets.  

⛽️ Waikato businesses and consumers appear to be shrugging off volatile fuel prices for now, despite sharp swings in global oil markets. A barrel of Brent crude spiked to US$117 earlier this week before dropping and later recovering to around US$90. Read.

🛠️ Bunnings will begin a phased rollout of facial recognition technology, starting with two Hamilton locations, Te Rapa and Hamilton South, by mid-April. The technology is intended to provide proactive warnings when serious repeat offenders entered a store. Read.

🩺 Professor Scott Wilkes has been announced as the inaugural dean of the Waikato’s new medical school, which will open to the first cohort of students in 2028. Wilkes has more than 30 years’ experience as a GP and more than 20 as a researcher. Read.

🍹 The Waikato Women’s Fund has teamed up with Hamilton Hotel to create a special cocktail raising funds for women. The $20 Bramble, a berry-citrus drink made with gin and house-made crème de mûre, is available during the run of Menopause the Musical at the BNZ Theatre this week. Read.

🎭Hamilton’s arts and entertainment scene has kicked off 2026 with a string of major events, many centred around the new BNZ Theatre. With more shows continuing to be announced, including a May 17 concert from the Opus Orchestra, the venue’s busy schedule shows no sign of slowing down. Read.

See you at Homegrown on Saturday!

— Ben and Sarah