Or: The Hollywood Avondale, 20 St Georges Rd, Avondale, Auckland.

Price: Tickets $25 + reservation fees here Visit for more information.

2) Parnell Rose Festival – Parnell

The Parnell Rose Gardens are turning it on this weekend for their annual Rose Festival. Besides the main attraction – the breathtaking gardens in full bloom – there are live entertainment, food trucks, craft stands, a farmers’ market and family activities. The Upcycle Garden Challenge returns, in which schools have been tasked with designing and creating an upcycled garden which will be displayed at the festival for the public to vote on. For the avid gardeners among you, there is a cutting and seed exchange to participate in. We’re crossing our fingers and toes for good weather so Aucklanders take this opportunity to enjoy the vibrancy of the gardens’ more than 5,000 roses. If the weather is warm, you can swim at Parnell Baths, which have just opened for the summer.

When: November 10, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Or: Dove-Myer Robinson Park, Parnell, Auckland.

Price: Free.

3) Houstoun & Eroica – Manukau

This Saturday evening you can see one of Aotearoa’s greatest living pianists perform with the Manukau Symphony Orchestra for their final concert of the year. Officially retired, Michael Houstoun only plays with the MSO once a year and that’s it. Saturday’s repertoire includes the fantastic overture to Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” and Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2, in which Houstoun will play the piano solo that Shostakovich composed for his son in 1957. Eroica, often considered the first Romantic symphony, is an epic masterpiece and one of Beethoven’s works. most innovative and famous works. Certainly an evening of virtuoso musical talent, the concert is a worthy finale to a superb year of classical music in South Auckland by the MSO.

When: November 9, 7:30 p.m.

Or: Due Drop Events Centre, 770 Great South Rd, Manukau.

Price: Tickets $15-$70 + booking fees from here z or on the door.

4) Digital Technology Expo for Seniors – Wairau Valley

If you’ve ever found yourself staring at your phone or computer thinking “this is it, this is beyond me, I’ll never learn how to use it”, then Sunday’s Digital Seniors Tech Expo might be just what you need need. The inaugural event is the brainchild of nonprofit tech support organization Digital Seniors and aims to introduce seniors to the myriad of new technologies that could significantly improve their lives and help them develop their capabilities technological. A wide range of products and services are showcased at the exhibition, including support for internet banking, online security, TV streaming, financial planning, smart wheelchairs, AI that detects signs disease, dementia support technologies, robotic pets, smart homes and much more. . There is a lecture series, workshops, free hearing tests, food, plenty of parking and seating on site. Don’t get overwhelmed by the speed at which technology evolves; Come to Eventfinda Stadium on Sunday and let Digital Seniors and their partners help you ride the wave to your digital future.

When: November 10, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Or: Eventfinda Stadium, Argus Place, Wairau Valley, North Coast.

Price: Free entry and parking. Visit for more information and to register.

5) Reuse Market – Auckland CBD

The season of overconsumption and environmental irresponsibility is upon us, but here’s one way to reject everything TV and social media advertising is trying to sell you: head to the ReUse Market on the ground floor ground floor of Victoria St Carpark – so as not to be confused with Victoria Park Market, which is on the other side of town. The monthly marketplace launched earlier this year and has been growing ever since. You never know what you might find there – from vintage treasures and pieces of Kiwi nostalgia to second-hand clothing, toys, homewares and bric-a-brac. Creative gift-givers might find just the items they need to handcraft a unique gift and bakers might find interesting containers to gift their cookies, cakes and treats. Save money and give thoughtful reuse to your loved ones and the planet this year.

When: November 10 (and the second Sunday of each month) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Or: Victoria St Car Park, 30 Kitchener St, Auckland City.

Price: Free entry and for this month only free sales. Visit the Reuse Markets Facebook page for more information.

6) Culley’s Smoke & Spice Festival – Auckland CBD

BBQ season is here and this Saturday is the perfect opportunity to get inspired for all that summer sizzling you’re planning to have by visiting Culley’s Smoke & Spice Festival at Shed 10. There are two sessions – in the afternoon and in the evening – both loaded with BBQ food trucks. , cooking demonstrations, masterclasses, craft vendors, live music and, for reasons that remain somewhat mysterious, live wrestling and arcade games. Alongside Culley’s, the festival is supported by Jack Daniels so you can enjoy your smoky, spicy, fatty and meaty treats with your choice of drink from the Jack Daniels BBQ Bloody Mary Bar. It is suitable for all whānau with children under 10 entering free.

When: November 9, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Or: Hangar 10, Queen’s Wharf, Auckland Central.

Price: Tickets start at $42.98 + booking fees from here.

7) The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale – Auckland CBD

It’s fair to say that no one asked for this, but nevertheless the Lord of the Rings trilogy has been made into a live musical and, by many accounts, is actually very good. The production has arrived here in Middle-earth after its premiere in Chicago earlier this year and will then continue its tour of Australia. Told from the hobbits’ point of view, The Lord of the Rings – A musical tale has an exceptionally talented cast, sophisticated staging including creative puppetry, and Tolkien’s epic story to build upon. It lasts several weeks at the Civic and would make a great Chrissy Pressie for the LOTR fans in your life.

When: Until December 1st.

Or: Civic Theatre, Queen St, Auckland Central.

Price: Tickets start at $79 + booking fees from here.

Plan ahead: how to create art – Auckland CBD

Theater can be many things: from Shakespeare to Cats has A tram named Desire to two bruised bananas stuck to the wall at an art exhibition. The latter is the starting point for the first production by the multidisciplinary performance collective Rugrats, called How to Art. Opening Tuesday, the show fuses physical theater, clowning, object design and cinema in a funny, thoughtful and sometimes silly exploration of the commodification of art and the impact of capitalism on creativity. Its creators Katie Burson and Georgie Llewellyn know only too well the increasingly challenging landscape facing theater makers and creatives in general seeking to make a lasting career in the arts. How to Art sees these two bananas question their identity, purpose and value in a completely unique and truly creative theater production.

When: November 12-16, 6:30 p.m.

Or: Basement Theater Studio, Lower Grays Ave, Auckland Central.

Price: Tickets based on the choice of what you pay here.

Plan Ahead: Camping – Auckland CBD

No, this isn’t a call to get your summer camping plans in order – if you haven’t yet, good luck to you. Camping is the name of an incredibly funny and somewhat risky show which opens on Thursday at the Q Theater and stars four of Aotearoa’s best-loved comedians: Chris Parker, Tom Sainsbury, Kura Forrester and Brynley Stent. Originally conceived by its cast for the 2016 New Zealand International Comedy Festival, Camping returns with an updated storyline but with just as many shenanigans. It tells the story of two couples who arrive in a bach for a romantic getaway and discover that the reservation is double. Trapped together as a storm rages outside, the sexual tension in the vacation home quickly rises and the two couples find themselves in a steamy love square that changes the trajectory of their lives .

When: November 14 – December 7.

Or: Q Theatre, 305 Queen St, Auckland Central.

Price: Tickets start at $30 + booking fees from here.