Yesterday we welcomed the Spring Equinox - the astronomical beginning of spring, as we start our journey towards those long summer days - although it doesn’t feel like it this morning!

But according to last week’s poll, only a quarter of you actually consider this the start of spring! Most of us reckon spring begins on 1 September.

Either way, the longer days are coming. We’ve got around 12 hours of daylight now, climbing towards roughly 15 hours by the summer solstice in December. 🌞

And there’s another nice little boost this weekend: daylight saving starts on Sunday, so remember to put any old clocks forward an hour before you go to bed on Saturday. One less hour in bed, but much lighter evenings!

Anyway, enjoy today’s edition. Keep scrolling too - there’s a giveaway waiting for you near the end. 👀

— Ben

🫟 Hamilton’s first art design week, City of Wonder, starts this weekend with exhibitions, installations, and interactive experiences in the heart of Hamilton. There’s lots to check out. Discover the full programme here >

🎈Save the date! Balloons Over Waikato returns Saturday 13 to Friday 19 March 2027. It kicks off with the Early Riser Opening Fiesta and Night Glow on the Saturday, followed by six Early Riser events across the week - including the Wonder Walk, where you can step inside a balloon. The festival wraps up with The Basket Burn at The Base on the Friday. Latest updates here >

🏐 The Silver Ferns are coming to Hamilton! They’ll take on the Net Blacks, New Zealand’s men’s national side, in three matches at Claudelands on 17, 19 and 21 November. The series is part of the Ferns’ build-up to the 2027 Netball World Cup. Tickets are now on sale >

👀 The Spinoff has taken quite an interest in Hamilton recently. First they compared Hamilton to London, then they gave us an inside guide to dining in central Hamilton and another for Hamilton East. And yesterday, they reviewed and approved the Hamilton Hotel Public Bar & Bistro. Read the story >

🏗️ This year’s Love the Centre Awards, which celebrate the great people and businesses of Hamilton’s central city, will be held inside the still-under-construction Pullman Hotel on 21 October. The ground-floor foyer will be transformed from an active construction site into a glitzy venue for the night. Tickets >

Hamilton is getting its first TEDx youth event, and Hello Hamilton is stoked to be partnering with the young team making it happen!

TEDxTamahere Youth: Unwritten Futures is all about giving young people a platform to share their ideas, challenge the way we think, and have their voices heard alongside adults, leaders and creatives from across the community.

Even cooler: the whole thing is being organised by a team of local students, led by local 13-year-old Abir Mahajan. 😲

It’s happening at The Meteor on Friday 6 November. Capacity is pretty limited, but there may still be a few seats available here. We’ll also have some seats to giveaway to Hello Hamilton subscribers closer to the event.

But first, they’re looking for young Hamiltonians with something to say. If you know someone aged 8–18 who has an idea, perspective or question you think deserves a stage, applications are now open to become a TEDx speaker. No speaking experience needed - they’ll get mentoring and coaching along the way.

👉 Help them send a two-minute video sharing their idea to [email protected] by 4pm, Wednesday 30 September.

🧱 Jungle Explorer LEGO Building – School Holiday Fun | Mon 28th September - Fri 9th October 10:00am - 5:00pm at Chartwell Shopping Centre. Get wild at Chartwell with LEGO jungle creatures that move, twist and come to life.

🗣️ Public Meeting on Education | Mon 28th 6:00pm at St John’s Hall. Meet with Labour's spokesperson for Education Hon Ginny Andersen and candidates as they talk about Labour’s plans for education. 

☕️ Māori & Pasifika Artist Hui | Mon 28th 6:00pm at The Meteor. Come along, have a cuppa share a kōrero, meet others and help shape what’s next.

👀 Waikato Historical Society Tours - Art in Architecture | Tue 29th September & Thu 1st October at Outside Hamilton Central Library. Discover the architectural features of heritage buildings. They show the development of Hamilton from a frontier town to a cosmopolitan city.

🧠 School Holiday Family Quiz | Tue 29th 6:30pm at The Wayward Pigeon. Get ready for some kid-friendly quizzes that the whole family can enjoy.

🤝 Business Networking | Wed 30th 9:00am at Sentinel Cafe.
Every week Loud & Proud members come and promote their business and help others with referrals as well as getting business education from local speakers and educators.

🪈 Lunchtime Recital: WindWood - Spirit Dancings | Wed 30th 1:00pm at Gallagher Academy. A duo formed by longtime friends and musical colleagues Karen Batten, Flutes, and Jeremy Fitzsimons, Marimba and Percussion.

🗿Open Late at the Museum | Wed 30th 5:00pm at Waikato Museum. Te Whare Taonga will be open until 9pm so that you can enjoy the exhibitions after-hours.

🩷 Kirikiriroa Reimagined | Wed 30th 6:00pm at Panama Square. Bringing together nine local artists, architects, designers and developers to explore new possibilities for Kirikiriroa’s streetscape and public realm.

🧩 Opinionation Game Night | Wed 30th 6:30pm at The Keg Room. Think Family Feud vibes for grown-ups – no need to be right, just be relatable.

🎭 The Wallypug of Why | Wed 30th September - Sat 3rd October 7:00pm at The Meteor. Story is full of word play, puppets, visual puns, and magic. There is something for everyone in this silly, adventurous little play.

🍷 Watercolour & Wine Night - Watercolour Piwakawa | Wed 30th 7:00pm at The Bank Bar. Beginner-friendly watercolour painting where you’ll explore fluid colour mixing, delicate brushwork, and create your own watercolour artwork - in a bar!

🏡 Waikato Home & Garden Show 2026 | Thu 1st - Sun 4th at Claudelands Events Centre. Explore a selection of exhibitors showcasing premium products, smart solutions and the latest in home and lifestyle design.

🖼️ Toi Maori: Eugene Kara and Graham Tipene | Thu 1st 6:00pm at Panama Square. Exploring how art, design and place can come together to shape meaningful public spaces in Kirikiriroa.

🎶 Mountain Boy – The Nights Tour | Fri 2nd 7:00pm at Last Place. Bringing their headline show to celebrate the release of their new album.

🧺 Riverlea Community Market Day 2026 | Sat 3rd 10:00am - 2:00pm at Riverlea Theatre. One off annual event with handcrafted gifts, crafts, food & coffee/beverages, art, homemade soaps and more!

🎨 Watercolour Landscape Workshop | Sat 3rd 10:30am - 3:00pm at The Sculpture Park. Join Martin Necas, a Hamilton-based watercolour artist, where he will lead you through the process of creating an immersive watercolour landscape painting.

✍️ Frank Sargeson Memorial Lecture and Sargeson Prize | Sat 3rd 5:45pm at Gallagher Academy. Celebrate storytelling, poetry and the Sargeson Prize as acclaimed poet Tusiata Avia headlines this special event.

🎵 Last Place 5th Birthday | Sat 3rd 7:00pm at Last Place. A free show with some very special friends and music from electronic, alternative, emo, punk and more! 

🏉 NPC – Waikato vs Tasman | Sat 3rd 7:10pm at FMG Stadium.
Big hits, big atmosphere, and one last chance to pack out FMG Stadium Waikato in 2026!

😁 Megaland Inflatable Obstacle Course | Wed 7th - Sun 11th at Mystery Creek. Megaland is a massive obstacle course designed for all ages, featuring an epic 345-meter-long course with 43 incredible challenges! Tickets >

It currently costs me around $1,000 a month to produce Hello Hamilton - from online hosting fees and the tech behind the scenes, to paying young local talent.

To keep Hello Hamilton human-written, independent, and ad-minimal, please consider becoming a paid member (for the price of about two coffees a month).

— Ben Woodgates and Sarah Blake