Things to do  |  11 Aug 2023

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Shake it up at Quake City and party with your pup, or check out the Film Festival and a Dutch Market cook up!

Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival 2023

Strap in and get ready to fill your winter days with fabulous films on the big screen! The New Zealand International Film Festival is taking place across four venues in Christchurch until 27 August. Seventy-eight feature-length films and seven short film collections will be played throughout the festival, with tickets starting at $13.50.

Films to check out this weekend include the music documentary Tiki Taane in Session with CSO on Friday, the historical drama Kidnapped on Saturday, and the French thriller Anatomy of a Fall on Sunday. Find the full programme and grab your tickets here.  

Quake City Free Entry Weekend

Quake City – Canterbury Museum’s special exhibition telling stories from the Canterbury earthquake – will be free to visit on Saturday and Sunday! The Quake City experience leads visitors through the first shake of 4 September 2010, the destruction and rescue efforts of 22 February 2011 and the clean-up and rebuild.

See some of the defining objects of this time – from the top of the Christchurch Cathedral spire and the railway station clocks to the road cones, water containers and portaloos that were part of everyday life for Cantabrians post quakes. Quake City is located at 299 Durham Street North and open this weekend from 9am to 5pm.

Doggies and Drinks

Cascade's Doggies & Drinks is a day for all dog lovers! In collaboration with Greyhounds As Pets, all dog owners are encouraged to bring their pups down to Cascade and all dog lovers to stop by and meet some furry friends.

Entry is free, and there’s a special $20 deal that comes with a house drink, a dog treat, and a picture of your pooch from our in-house photographer. There will also be a special dog beer available for purchase! Dog lovers are welcome from 1pm Sunday at 219 High Street.

Dutch Monthly Market

Come along to the Netherlands Society Cultural Centre, 637 Marshland Road, from 10am – 12:30pm on Saturday to enjoy everything Dutch! The Dutch Monthly Market has fresh and imported food, books, activities, games, gezelligheid and more!

Food includes haring, erwten soup, fresh homemade appeltaart met slagroom and famous “LekkerDutch” poffertjes. After the market, Dutch lessons in a small group will be available for any level and koha entry. Tot gauw!

Waimakariri River Community Planting Day

Join our ranger and biodiversity teams on one of our epic tree-planting days alongside the Waimakariri River. Head over to Rock Spur car park and picnic area from 10am to 1pm this Saturday to get involved.

Enjoy tea and coffee to start the day with a free BBQ to follow the planting. Come along with friends and family to help us put 8,500 plants in the ground! More here.

Sumner Lovin' Cabaret

Matuku Community Theatre is back to turn up the heat this winter, with their annual cabaret variety show, full of fun in the sun, with a Sumner twist. Love is the thread that ties this show of music and dance, skits and laughter together - this show will warm the cockles of your heart.

Grab a ticket for $30 and head down to Matuku Takotako Sumner Centre this evening. Bar drinks and food are available, doors and bar open from 7:15pm.

The Wax Birds

Join at Brew Academy for epic beverage, brewed in house and some lovely tunes! The Wax Birds are an acoustic duo who cover a wide range of songs – spanning the last 80 years, alongside their own award nominated original material.

Check out the duo at this free, R18 event from 6:30pm – 8:30pm Saturday. The Brew Academy is located at 84 Falsgrave Street. Reservations are recommended.

Pokémon Trade Day

Head down to TCG Collector NZ, 59B Carlyle Street, to collect and trade Pokémon cards or sealed product this Sunday! There will be a nice range of Pokémon singles to look through on the day, plenty of tables to sit down at, and a bunch of Pokémon stuff for sale too!

Bring your cards, folders all things Pokémon related from 10:30am – 4pm. More here.

YES Canterbury Market

From 10am – 2pm Sunday, check out the Young Enterprise Scheme market day where young entrepreneur businesses will get a chance to display and sell their products!

Bring your family, friends and supporters to attend the free market at Hack Circle at the intersection of Cashel Street and High Street – also known as High Street Triangle.

City Life

Make your way to The Piano on Sunday afternoon for a concert of music inspired by city life. Presented by Canterbury Philharmonia, music includes local Christchurch composers Tony Ryan and Philip Norman.

The Piano is located at 156 Armagh Street, and the event will take place from 2:30pm – 4:30pm with tickets from $10. Grab a ticket online or pick up a door sale on Sunday!