Thanks for all the lovely feedback in last week’s poll celebrating one year of Hello Hamilton. I reckon a 4.8/5 star rating ⭐ for the first year of Hello Hamilton is pretty darn good! Your comments and replies are always super valuable - here’s a taste of them:

Let’s keep going. Happy reading! Want more? Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Join our Dinner Club. Contribute to keep this thriving. Partner with us.

Reservations close in a few days for the Hello Hamilton Dinner Club happening next Friday, 23 January. Then, the matchmaking process begins, and you’ll find out where you’re dining. 👀

So take the personality quiz, get matched with four or five fellow Hamiltonians, and come out to meet some new friends! 77 members are already booked in!

I have an idea, and I’m interested to hear what you have to say.

We hardly get any interesting mail anymore. Everything’s digital. But how special does it feel to receive a real letter? Or a surprise package?

Here’s the idea: a physical letter arrives at your doorstep at the start of each season. A snail-mail envelope that's jam packed with Hamilton goodness - surprises from local businesses, stories from around the city, art from Hamilton artists, local history, stickers, recipes, invitations to private events, and who knows what else. 🎁

It’s an invitation to put your devices aside, break the wax seal on an envelope, and spend some time with a beautifully made periodical. Four envelopes a year, filled with interesting Hamilton surprises. 💌

I’m unsure of pricing yet but as always, if you like it, we can explore more and if you don’t - we carry on. Please have your say!

Beginner West Coast Swing Class | Thu 15th 8:00pm at Hamilton City Netball Centre. Come learn West Coast Swing dancing! Beginner classes are held every Thursday and you can start any week. $10 drop in class. Info.  

🤰 Pregnancy Movie & Social Night | Fri 16th 6:00 - 8:30pm at River Ridge East Birth Centre. Come and join other hapu mamas to watch together an amazing documentary following the childbirth experience of 10 women across the globe. Info.  

No Exit Band | Fri 16th 9:30pm at Biddy Mulligans. No Exit is a dynamic 4-piece live classic rock band with Neil Pascoe (Thames) on guitar & lead vocals, Mike Lynch (Huntly) on keyboard & vocs, and complemented by the rhythm section of Greg Allen (Huntly) on bass/vocs and Bevan Carlyon (Papamoa) on drums. Info.   

🥦 Tamahere Country Market | Sat 17th 8:30am - 1:00pm at Tamahere Country Market. The Tamahere Country Market is an open-air market featuring local produce and products made, grown, and created in New Zealand. Info.  

Pop-up Shop | Sat 17th 9:00am - 3:00pm at Brown Lightning Bros. Come to this pop-up for vintage clothes, kicks and more! Info.  

Stories in the Garden | Sat 17th 10:00am at Garden Place. Come on a magical adventure under the trees in Garden Place for an hour of storytelling and games with characters from Enchanted Entertainment. Info.  

🎨 Paintvine in the Park | Sat 17th 2:00 - 4:00pm at Hamilton Gardens. Paintvine in the park is a beginners painting class in some of New Zealand's most beautiful parks and gardens. Sit in the sun and paint the day away. Tickets. 

Hamilton Biggest Food Bazzar | Sat 17th 4:00 - 10:00pm at Innes Common. Join for the biggest food bazaar at the lake with 20+ food stalls, delicious flavours from around the world, and a beautiful lakeside setting. Info. 

🎶 Slummer Slam | Sat 17th 8:00pm at Last Place. Presenting mixed genres gigs including Job Site, Slippery Slim, King Komodo, Static and more! Tickets. 

Coverband The JLB Live | Sat 17th 9:30pm at Biddy Mulligans. Rock into the summer season with The JLB, one of Hamilton's leading coverbands. Info. 

🪩 George FM Summer Tour XL | Sat 17th 10:00pm - 3:00am at The Factory. Hyoketsu Presents: George FM Summer Tour XL. XL Venues, XL Lineups, XL Production. Everyone’s favourite Summer Tour returns this year, but with a twist.  Tickets. 

Yoga x Pause x Oats x LSKD | Sun 18th 7:00 - 11:00am at The Breathing Room. An intentional morning designed to move, breathe, restore and connect - all in one beautiful space. Yoga with Lola, 30min contrast therapy with Pause, oats from Oat Bros and shopping with LSKD. Tickets. 

🏑 Battles of the Bombays | Sun 18th 10:00am at Gallagher Hockey Centre. Waikato will host the first edition of the Battle of the Bombays against the Auckland Hockey Association! 8 games will be played throughout the day, so come on down and cheer for our Waikato teams. Info.  

Origami Workshop | Sun 18th 1:00pm at Central Library. Drop in and learn how to make your own origami masterpiece! All are welcome. All materials provided. Info. 

🌟 To The Stars / Ki Ngā Whetū | Mon 19th - Wed 21st 5:30pm at Waikato Regional Theatre. The much-anticipated opening of the Waikato Regional Theatre in Hamilton will be marked by a world premiere performance, To The Stars / Ki Ngā Whetū, an original stage production that celebrates the people, places, and creative spirit of the Waikato region. Tickets.  

Central's Up Up and Away Day | Tue 20th 10:30am at Central Library. Come join for a morning of fun! The library is hosting an interactive storytime, play team games and have crafts available for your tamariki. Register.  

📚 Reading Buddies | Tue 20th 11:30am at Rototuna Library. Does your child need some help with their reading? Are they new to reading in English or Te Reo Maaori? Come and read to therapy dogs together to build their confidence! Register.  

🏏 Northern Brave vs Central (Double Header) | Tue 20th 2:10pm and 5:55pm at Seddon Park. Super Smash is back for the final home double-header at Seddon Park! Watch the Northern Brave Men and Women take on the Central Stags and Central Hinds in an action-packed day of cricket. Tickets.  

Wintec Information Sessions 2026 | Tue 20th 4:00 - 5:30pm at The Atrium, Hamilton City Campus | Thu 22nd 4:00 - 5:30pm at G Block, Wintec Rotokauri Campus. Discover Wintec’s industry-leading programmes and unique areas of specialisation. Whether you’re looking to begin your tertiary education, upskill, change your career path, or explore a passion project, the team can help guide you. Register.  

🌸 Paper Flowers | Thu 22nd 10:30am at Hillcrest Library at Hamilton Gardens. Join for a fun and hands-on craft session where you’ll make beautiful paper flowers to brighten up your space or gift to someone special. Info.  

Bazurka + Big Sigh | Thu 22nd 8:00pm at Last Place. Bazurka is a dynamic band based in Pōneke, that specializes in traditional folk songs from the rich tapestry of the Balkan states. Supported by local acoustic folk duo Big Sigh. Tickets.  

💦 The Z Manu World Champs | Saturday and Sunday 9:00am - 4:30pm at Waterworld. Get ready to make a splash at Waterworld, the ultimate venue for the Hamilton heats of the Z Manu World Champs. Info.  

🎪 Circus in the Centre | Sat 24th 10:00am - 12:00pm at Garden Place. The lawn at Garden Place is getting turned into a lively circus zone, offering free family-friendly sessions where kids and families can explore circus skills in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Info.  

Have-A-Go Circus | Sat 24th 1:30 - 3:30pm at Western Community Service. Black Sheep Circus is offering free, family- friendly circus zone sessions where tamariki, rangatahi, and whānau can explore circus skills in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Info. 

🎤 Sir Dave Dobbyn | Sat 24th 8:00pm at Waikato Regional Theatre. From iconic anthems to an extraordinary catalogue of deeper cuts, Dobbyn’s set promises an unforgettable journey through one of the nation’s most storied songwriting legacies. Tickets.  

Burn’s Night Ceilidh | Sun 25th 6:30 - 10:30pm at The Meteor. The Meteor’s next fundraiser night celebrates the national bard of Scotland, Robbie Burns! A full Burns supper of Haggis (or vegetarian option), neeps and tatties, and cranachan for afters. Tickets.  

🩺 After a milestone year, the Waikato University is now focused on building the country’s third medical school, with work under way to secure accreditation, funding and keep up momentum following last year’s Government green-light and December’s sod-turning. When the building is completed in December 2027, it will clear the way for the first new medical school to open in New Zealand in almost 60 years. Read.

🎭 The Waikato Regional Theatre will be known as the BNZ Theatre for the next five years under a new naming rights deal with Live Nation NZ. The announcement comes ahead of the venue’s public opening on January 19. Read.

🤑 A Hamilton couple have won $1 million on Lotto just weeks after the husband received a shock cancer diagnosis, bringing what they described as “tears and laughter”. The pair, who have played the same numbers for 35 years, say the win has given them a reason to stay positive. Read.

⚠️ Hamilton City Council is ramping up summer works while traffic is lighter, with crews replacing ageing water and wastewater pipes, resealing 32km of roads, and delivering safety upgrades. Council says the construction season, running through to March, is one of its largest recent investments in road maintenance. Read.

🐈‍⬛ Two Hamilton venues will host National Youth Theatre productions of Cats and an adaptation of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books this year. As part of its growing presence in the Waikato, National Youth Theatre will also run school holiday programmes and weekly workshops at Clarence St Theatre. Read.

Thanks for reading Hello Hamilton today, friend! If you found something useful, please share it with another friend!

As always, please direct reply to this email if you have any suggestions for what you would like to see in future editions of Hello Hamilton. Comments. Complaints. Compliments.. I’m all ears!

— Ben and Sarah