What's on this weekend

Commemorate Anzac Day, spend time with your family and keep the kids busy - here's your guide to the weekend in and around Christchurch.

Anzac Day Dawn Service at Cathedral Square

Gather in Cathedral Square next to the Citizens’ War Memorial to mark New Zealand’s 1915 Gallipoli Campaign. Veterans will meet at the Worcester Blvd bridge at 6.15am on Friday and then parade the short distance to Cathedral Square for the traditional dawn service.

Deputy Mayor Pauline Cotter will join representatives of New Zealand’s armed forces to lay wreaths during the service, which starts at 6.30am. The New Zealand Army Band will then perform, concluding with the playing of the Last Post, a minute’s silence, and then the singing of the New Zealand national anthem. Later on, at 10am, the Christchurch Citizen’s Service will be held at the Transitional Cathedral in Latimer Square. Anzac Day services will also be held around Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.

Anzac Walk

Take an easy, guided wander through the Richmond river red zone during an Anzac Walk as part of the Walking Festival. Meet at Avebury House at 10am Friday for a wander through the red zone, including the special Anzac installation of biographies, white crosses and knitted poppies.

Finish your morning jaunt back at Avebury House with a cup of tea and an Anzac biscuit. Koha accepted, not required.

School holiday inflatable fun at Jellie Park

Rush, jump, slip, slide, biff and bash your way through our inflatable obstacle course at Jellie Park this weekend! Check out our indoor hydroslide and other fun inflatables, and have some school holiday fun.

The inflatable obstacle course will be open from 2 – 4.30pm Friday, 12 – 2.30pm Saturday and 12.15 – 2.45pm Sunday. General pool admission price applies. Please check our pool status page before you come.

Pasifika Fanau Day

Noa'ia, Tālofa lava, Mauri, Kia orāna, Mālō e lelei, Talofa, Ni sa bula vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Mālo ni, Halo olgeta, Halo Oloketa, Ia Orana, Aloha and warm Pacific welcomes.

Come along to the Matatiki Hornby Centre from 10am – 3pm Saturday for a day full of Pasifika-flavoured fun for the whole fanau including craft activities, technology tasters, storytimes, cultural performances and demonstrations.

Community Painting Day – SCAPE Youth Hub Mural

Add your mark to help complete a youth-led mural at the Christchurch Youth Hub. Come and support rangatahi paint a mural with professional street artists Pops and Lucas. The mural is 164 square metres and wraps around two sides of the Youth Hub’s outdoor activity courtyard.

These young people have already done four days of SCAPE workshops learning about different artistic styles and forming a vision for the mural – now they’re learning techniques from the pros. The Community Painting Day is a free event on from 11am – 2pm Sunday.

Kia auaha Make it!

Kia auaha - Make and create at six central city locations these school holidays! Create leaf boats, theatre masks, mosaics, wiggly sculptures, invent a machine and more as part of a school holiday trail.

Venture through the city and discover Te Māra Huaota o Waipapa Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Tūranga, Teece Museum of Classical Antiques, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora and Canterbury Museum. Pick up a free booklet from any of the venues and follow the trail until Sunday. Find more information on What's On or the Facebook event page.