This weekend you’re in for a pit, salvaged stars, and shapes with a salt rim. Breathe deeply, eat cake, or fashion yourself some feng shui from nature’s own. There’ll be glowing forests and burgers a-flipping, and the chance for a brand new-to-you wardrobe that won’t cost the earth. All this and more. Dig in.
Here are 15 epic things to do in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland this Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and all weekend.
Friday 19 April
Tumble Into A Preauricular Pit
If ‘preauricular’ has you scratching your head, not to worry—all you really need to know is that The Preauricular Pit is the place to be this Friday if you dig contemporary sound at its finest (that’s some hefty vibes, FYI). At just ten bucks on the door, or eight bucks at presale, not only is this gig one of the best things to do in Auckland this weekend, it’s also the cheapest. Head in for rave stereo by Fern, pop melodic melding by JHL, and genre-straddling sonic by Kyle Sattler.
Get Starry-Eyed
A ravaging by thieves last year rendered the Stardome Observatory & Planetarium’s EWB Zeiss telescope out of action, until now. $680,000 of restoration later and the powerful ‘scope—which is one of about 25 worldwide—is back in working order. It costs just twenty bucks to gaze into the cosmos and you can snag yourself a front row ticket to the action here.
Dive Into Salt Water Cinema
Aussies may be a magnet for the surfer stereotype but—like the origins of pavlova, jandals, and everything else Australia seems to get credit for—when it comes to the crunch, we’re the real deal. So much so that we’ve got our very own Aotearoa Surf Film Festival. Taking place at the inimitable Hollywood Avondale, surfs up for ten ocean-lovin’ flicks and plenty of hydration from the in-house bar. Snag yourself a ticket, it’s going to be swell.
Keep Calm And Drink Cacao
If you’re on the edge of burnout (or even if you aren’t) you’ll do well to head along to a restful gathering at Basecamp Yoga this Friday night. The three-hour Come As You Are event is focused on empowering you to better cope with the ups and downs of the beautiful, messy, complex existence we call life. Drop by for nervous system-soothing somatic and awareness practices, radical movement, restorative yoga, reiki, connection, and cacao.
Saturday 20 April
Immerse In The Essence Of Hip-hop
Creative social enterprise Triple Violet Arts is all about making creative expression a normal, and celebrated, part of human existence and we think that’s dang noble. This weekend, their mahi takes the form of Essence, a contemporary hip-hop dance theatre show at Basement Theatre where they’ll be riffing on themes of sisterhood, cultural identity, mental health, and the language of dance.
Go Thrift Shopping
If you’re in the mood to pop some tags you best pop along to the Avondale Lions Club this Saturday. From 11am to 3pm, you’ll get to rummage through a treasure trove of vintage and pre-loved clothing and accessories from the likes of Vintage Carhartt, Nike, Realtree Camo, USA Vintage, Y2K Streetwear, and more, courtesy of the folks at Rags Rack. Do your part to keep fast fashion out of landfill. In need of furniture? This retro mansion garage sale might also be a bit of you.
Get Tonsils-Deep In A Dessert Trolley
“I regret High Tea at Esther’s” said nobody, ever. Treat yourself to a dainty culinary wonderland this Saturday with devilled eggs, spinach and ricotta hand-pies, medallion fish sandos, and giant glazed prawns, topped off with bubbles, martinis, and bottomless tea and coffee. And the pièce-de-résistance, the dessert trolley. Yes siree, lemon delicious cakes, tiramisu, Portuguese tarts and meringues in the shape of swans will literally roll onto your plate. Heaven.
Down A Burger And Do Good
If you haven’t heard, Jo Bro’s Burgers are collabing with Ponsonby Social every weekend in April to flip burgers for mental health. Stop by to fill your puku with all your Jo Bro’s faves plus limited edition burgs dreamt into existence by food royalty Ben Bayly, Lucas Parkinson, Michael Meredith, and Sean Connolly. All profits will be donated to the Sir John Kirwan Foundation to empower our young people with better mental health.
Sunday 21 April
Dive Mouth First Into A Vegan Food-apalooza
The Food Truck Collective’s Vegan Food Truck Feast is iconic and it’s happening this Sunday at Victoria Park from 10am ‘til 4pm. Clear your calendar and get ready to slam forkfuls (and platefuls) of plant-based kai. The lineup includes Double Dutch Fries, Karmic Kitchen, Lalele Organic Gelato, Lagnos, No Missed Steak, Smoothe Operator, Sweet As Bowl, Maison Des Lys, Amaranto Pasta, Vege Bang Bang, Vege Pulse, Vegvan, Kookie Haus, and more.
Create A Pair Of Magical Moss Balls
Head over heels for the whimsical Japanese moss balls known as ‘kokedama’? You’re in luck. A symbol of peacefulness and love, and believed to be able to absorb negative energy from spaces, they’ll jazz up any space and manifest all the good vibes. Pull up a seat at St Heliers’ plant paradise, Babylon, and make your very own at their Kokedama workshop. Tickets include everything you need to make two kokedama and a whole lot of botanical banter.
Salsa Over The Sands
A free beginners’ dance class has just dropped and it’s taking place on Mission Bay Beach this weekend. The four-hour Sun-kissed Rhythms workshop will cover elements of salsa, bachata, and merengue, and runs from 3pm to 7pm. Meet by the water fountain, ready to move.
All Weekend
Forget The World In A Neon Forest
If you’re drawn to neon lights like some sort of disco moth you’re going to froth Arborialis Luminarium. The inflatable, multisensory, neon-labyrinth is the latest work by Architects of Air, a creative initiative headed by designer Alan Parkinson that specialises in ‘pneumatic luminaria’ a.k.a. inflatable sculptures that encourage onlookers to examine light in new ways. Step into this mind-bending kaleidoscope at Aotea Square all weekend, from 9am to 5pm.
Flex Your Art Knowledge, Or Lack Thereof
The Viaduct Events Centre will be overflowing with contemporary art at the Aotearoa Art Fair this weekend. A massive event for the local art scene, this year it’ll be packed with work by over 180 artists. So round up your creatively-inclined crew and head along to be awe-inspired or, like, have your mate get a snap of you staring pensively into a painting to make your ‘gram look cultured or whatever.
Learn A Thing
The temptation to hibernate is strong with the changing of seasons ushering in some dreary days but just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean you have to stop doing the fun stuff. Enter: Tāmaki Makaurau’s inimitable workshops. No matter what the weather gods have in store, you can still have one helluva weekend whipping up all manner of cakes, candles, cocktails, and more.
Get Those Steps In
Spending some time in nature can be exactly what you’re in the mood for as the seasons begin to change and whether you’re after a coastal stroll, a slog up a never-ending staircase, a forest-bathe or an urban jaunt, we’ve got it all. Check out the best the city has to offer or, if you’ve got a pooch in tow, you might like to explore the top dog-friendly walks.
All this weekend planning got you feeling a bit peckish? Treat your taste buds to the latest food news.
Main image credit: Auckland Stardome & Observatory | supplied.
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