👋🏼 Hello Hamilton

It’s Balloons Over Waikato week! Are you heading along? Send us a photo or tag us on Instagram @hellohamiltonnz!

Thanks for reading Hello Hamilton today. First time reading? I’m 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. Join over 5,200 Hamiltonians here.

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🎟️ What’s happening in Hamilton this week?

Hot Air Balloon Morning Lift Off | Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 7:00am at Innes Common, Hamilton Lake. See the balloons up close, inflate, and fly off, and take part in interactive activities. Info.

Walk-Thru Hot Air Balloon | Thursday 20th 4:00-7:00pm in Garden Place. An amazing experience walking inside a real hot air balloon for a donation. There’ll be fun, music and entertainment helping kick off Balloons event week. Info.

Escapist Speed Puzzling | Thursday 20th 6:00-9:00pm at Escapists. Are you a keen puzzler? Can you complete a puzzle faster than the other group? Come join a fun evening of puzzling. Tickets.

Quiz Night | Thursday 20th 6:30-8:30pm 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.

Beats by Bingo | Thursday 20th 7:00pm at Good Neighbour. Come for a night of musical bingo featuring throwback jams, sing alongs, seat dancing and prize winning. Info.

Musical Theatre Karaoke Night | Thursday 20th 7:30pm at Nivara Lounge. Whether you're a seasoned performer or a passionate musical theatre fan, this is your chance to step into the limelight and sing your heart out to your favourite Broadway hits, jukebox musical numbers, and everything in between. Info.

Kitty Flanagan Live | Thursday 20th 8:00pm at Clarence St Theatre. You’ve seen her on the NETFLIX show Fisk and the TV show Have You Been Paying Attention. Now, a hit show full of hard laughs, good times, handy hints and a catchy little tune about underpants. Tickets.

The Base Hot Air Balloon Basket Burn | Friday 21st 6:00-7:45pm at The Base Te Rapa. A light show using hot air balloon gas burners choreographed to music, food trucks for family dinner, and live music. Tickets.

Candlelight Concert: Best of Fleetwood Mac | Friday 21st 8:30pm at St. Peter’s Cathedral. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Fleetwood Mac under the gentle glow of candlelight with Kulios String Quartet. Tickets.

Puketaha Market and Carboot Sale | Saturday 22nd 10:00am-2:00pm at Puketaha Memorial Hall. Fundraising for a community AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). Info.

Desi Market | Saturday 22nd 11:00am-4:00pm at All Saints in St Andrews. Celebrate the vibrant culture, delicious food, and unique products from South Asia. Explore a variety of stalls featuring traditional clothing, jewelry, handmade crafts and more. Info.

Circus in the Centre | Saturday 22nd 12:00-2:30pm in Garden Place. A fun-filled circus experience where families can learn juggling, hula hooping, and more with expert tutors - drop in anytime for a lively and welcoming session. Info.

Vinyl at Vixen | Saturday 22nd 5:00-10:00pm in Vixen Burger in Featherston. Come on down for some banging burgers and hot tunes from the Featherston Vinyl Club. Info.

Ladies night out with WolfPack | Saturday 22nd 8:00-10:30pm at Biddy Mulligans. A highly interactive & immersive Male Dance Revue with adult themes. Tickets.

FAME: The Musical | Saturday and Sunday at The Meteor. Featuring a cast, crew, and live orchestra of more than 100 talented Hillcrest High School students, Fame is a must-see event filled with heart, energy, and inspiring performances. Tickets.

Hamilton Farmers’ Market | Sunday 23rd 8:00am-12:00pm at Claudelands Gate 3. Your authentic farmers' market - fresh seasonal fruit & vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, eggs, milk, bread, honey, condiments - buy local, support local. Info.

Haka Maaori Cultural Experience | Sunday 23rd 10:00am-6:00pm at Hamilton Gardens. Experience authentic Maaori arts and culture with live performances, weaving and poi making workshop, and guided cultural walk. Free entry. Info.

Learn 2 Skate Roller Derby | Sunday 23rd 1:00-3:00pm at Melville. Hellmilton Roller Ghouls are holding another learn to skate for their first 2025 Roller Derby intake! All you need is some comfy clothes, socks, enthusiasm and water. They will supply all safety equipment and skates. Register.

Gourmet in the Gardens | Sunday 23rd 4:00-8:00pm at Hamilton Gardens. Only a couple weeks left for this season! Come along with the whole family and listen to the local live music while dining from the lineup of local food trucks. Info.

Quiz Night | Tuesday 25th 6:30-8:30pm at Good George. Gather your brainy bunch of 2–8 people, and get ready for a night of good fun, alongside some friendly competition, tasty eats, and awesome prizes. Book.

Soda Power Lunch with Simon Pound | Wednesday 26th 12:00-1:30pm Bill Gallagher Events Centre. Join a light lunch and inspiring discussion with creative, strategist and business founder, Simon Pound. Simon has recently launched New + Improved, a groundbreaking venture studio that has created a new model for innovation, startups and founders. Tickets.

James and the Giant Peach | Wednesday 26th 7:00-8:30pm at Riverlea Theatre. Roald Dahl's story comes hilariously to life in this delightful dramatization that reveals the wickedness of some, the goodness of others, and the indecision encountered by many when they are faced with crises. Tickets.

Glow in the Dark Paint Party | Wednesday 26th 7:00-9:00pm at The Bank Bar. Grab a drink in one hand, a brush in the other and get your creative juices flowing and your brush strokes going with ultra-violet lights, glow in the dark paint and nothing but laughs all night long! Tickets.

German Chat | Wednesday 26th 7:00-9:00pm at The Helm. We welcome all people who have an interest in getting to know other Germans or simply just to have a chat and practise this language, native or not. Info.

Live Comedy in Hamilton with Paul Ego | Wednesday 26th 7:30-9:00pm at Foundation Bar & Kitchen. Paul Ego (7 Days, Comedy Gala, Taskmaster, PAK’nSAVE stickman), Bridget Davies (7 Days), and Alan McElroy (RNZ's The Panel) come to Hamilton for a night of laughs. Tickets.

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

🎶 Some live music across the Tron

Western Community Centre | Nick Hyde - Album release tour | Thursday 20th 7:00pm. Tickets.

Biddy Mulligans | Tim Armstrong | Thursday 20th.

Nivara Lounge | Talmar Takes On Kirikiriroa! | Friday 21st 6:00pm doors. Tickets.

Last Place | Speed Dating And Friends Present: Localised Feedback | Friday 21st 7:30pm doors. Tickets.

Amuse at SkyCity | Daughters of Ally | Friday 21st 8:00pm-12:00am

Biddy Mulligans | Splinter Band | Friday 21st.

Amuse at SkyCity | Gemma Celeste | Saturday 22nd 8:30pm-12:30am

Biddy Mulligans | The JLB | Saturday 22nd.

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

👀 Hamilton headlines you may have missed

Strong winds meant pilots at Balloons Over Waikato had to stay grounded on opening day. But the cloudy skies did not stop the hundreds of spectators from enjoying the show, with seven colourful balloons inflating at Innes Common by Hamilton Lake just after 7am. Read.

An extraordinary heat streak that brought Hamilton two weeks of sweltering temperatures could be playing out most summers within decades, scientists have calculated. Over February, Hamilton’s maximum temperatures average around 25C: yet they never dropped below 27C over a 15-day heatwave early last month. Read.

Traffic will soon be going 20kph faster through one of Hamilton’s worst crash spots, unless a speed limit reversal is reversed. The “very dangerous” Cobham Drive intersection with Grey St, near Hamilton Gardens, sits in the middle of a stretch of road where the 60kph speed limit is due to be reversed to 80kph in July. Have your say.

The battle of the towns is on over which one will attract music festival Homegrown to a new venue - will it be Hamilton? After 18 years, the festival has bid farewell to its home on the Wellington waterfront. Read.

Visiting your local water treatment plant may not be everyone’s idea of a fun day out, but the Hamilton City Council wants locals to get a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes. The council is inviting residents to tour the Waiora Treatment Plant on Saturday, April 5. More info.

🚧 Roadworks and closures this week

• Claudelands Road (from Grey Street to Victoria Street) will be closed from 8pm on Thursday 20 March to 6am on Friday 21 March, for gardening. 

• One direction of Duke Street (from Greenwood Street to Ellis Street) will be closed until Friday 21 March, for footpath and kerb renewal work. 

• Lake Domain Drive (from Killarney Road to Gilbass Avenue) will be closed from 5.30am – 10.30am until Saturday 22 March for the Balloons over Waikato event. 

• A series of streets around the Claudelands and Five Cross Roads will be closed on Saturday 22 March for the Balloon over Waikato Nightglow. Roads closed from 2pm – 11pm or 6pm - 11pm.

• Boundary Road (from Victoria Street to Heaphy Terrace) will be closed on Sunday 23 March from 8pm to 6am on Monday 24 March, for bridge maintenance and surfacing. 

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

• One lane will be closed on Lynwood Place from until Wednesday 16 April, for footpath and kerb renewal work. 

Thanks for reading Hello Hamilton. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who should totally go to a Balloons over Waikato event this week!

As always, reply to this email ([email protected]) if you have any suggestions for what you would like to see in future editions. I’d love to hear from you.

See you next Thursday.

— Ben