Things to do  |  25 Sep 2020

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Celebrate the start of the school holidays with festivals of light, sound and colour or join a hunt for penguins, dragons or treasure. It’s time to have some fun.

Rangiora Festival of Colour

Join the Festival of Colour in Rangiora’s Victoria Park on Sunday.

Celebrate diversity and energy between 10am and 4pm while enjoying fusion-style music and dance performances. Admission is free but you will need to buy your bright colours.

World Rivers & Fish Migration Day by South Library

Gather outside the South Library on Sunday for the combined World Rivers & Fish Migration Day.

Check out the displays, workshops, activities and music between 10am and 3pm, along with a small planting along the riverbanks and a free barbecue.

Rangiora Light and Sound Festival

Experience a light and sound wonderland in Rangiora’s Victoria Park.

Talking trees, disco lights, music, dancing lights and interactive displays will light up the night from 6pm today and 5pm on Saturday at the Rangiora Light and Sound Festival. The fun culminates in a Saturday night grand finale, with a family movie on the big screen, light displays, live music and plenty to eat and drink. Book a $5 ticket or $10 family pass.

Join the Penguin Hunt at Canterbury Museum.

Penguin Hunt @ Canterbury Museum

Go on a Penguin Hunt at Canterbury Museum. Pick up an entry form and search for the penguins painted on stones as part of the Days of Ice programme and you may win a prize.

Inflatable fun @ Graham Condon Centre

Jump, slip and slide your way through the inflatable fun obstacle course at the Graham Condon Recreation and Sport Centre in Papanui between 12.30pm and 2.30pm on Sunday.

Encraftment Boutique Showcase

Check out the artisan crafts at the Encraftment Boutique Showcase at The Welder in Welles Street between 10am and 3pm on Saturday.

Magnificent McCahon @ CoCA

See Colin McCahon’s epic mural, Gate III, for the first time in nearly 50 years in the city.

Painted in 1970, the mural weaves together popular McCahon themes, including coastal views, rural landscapes and religious texts. The single-work exhibition in the Ō Raki Mair Gallery at CoCA offers a rare opportunity to see the powerful New Zealand artwork last on show in the same space in 1971. Entry is free.

Taonga Hunt in central city

Join a family friendly treasure hunt that combines te reo Māori with learning about Ōtautahi Christchurch’s artworks, nature and heritage.

The Taonga Hunt offers fun challenges while families explore the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, the Botanic Gardens, Canterbury Museum, The Arts Centre, and Tūranga. 

Dragons and Taniwha @ Canterbury Museum

Discover Dragons and Taniwha in Canterbury Museum in a new exhibition featuring the works of New Zealand’s leading contemporary bone carver artist, Owen Mapp.

The free exhibition, titled Owen Mapp: Dragons and Taniwha – 50 Years an Artist Carver, features a variety of intricate pieces of jewellery, sculptures, hei tiki and mere inspired by Māori taonga and culture, along with the influence of Scandinavian and European carved objects.

Ōtautahi Street Art Lighting Project

Wander around a new night gallery featuring 11 street murals.

Take to the city streets as 11 striking street murals take the spotlight in a new night gallery.

The Ōtautahi Street Art Lighting Project sheds a night light on many of the city’s most popular murals while also creating vibrant after-dark outdoor spaces.

Gem Show

Head along to Sydenham for a gem of a rock show this weekend.

The Canterbury Mineral and Lapidary Club’s Gem Show features a range of rocks, minerals, fossils, and gems, with special displays and the workshop in action. Entry ranges from $1 (children) to $3 (adults), with the clubroom doors open from 9am on Saturday and Sunday.