🐝 WellyBuzz: Blossom Valley, SlavFest & 50+ Weekend Events 🌸🎶

👋 Kia ora Wellington!

Before we dive in, a quick buzz: we’ve changed our email to [email protected] 🐝
(The old one, [email protected], has been retired).

So if you’ve got an event coming up, a Pet of the Week nomination, feedback, or just something worth celebrating in Pōneke, flick it through to the new address - we’d love to hear from you!

Now onto the good stuff: spring’s here, Pōneke-style. Sky Stadium turns into Home & Garden heaven, Cuba St throws a 40-act music takeover, Blossom Valley bursts into bloom, Newtown hosts the free SlavFest celebration, and Father’s Day brings drags (the racing kind) - plus a sunny Sunday finish.

🔥 Quick Picks This Weekend

🏡 Wellington Home & Garden Show 2025 – 200+ home improvement and garden stalls take over Sky Stadium.
🎸 Great Sounds Great Festival – 40 of Aotearoa’s hottest acts across 10 Cuba Street venues in one epic night.
🥟 SlavFest 2025 – Experience Eastern Europe in Newtown! A vibrant celebration of Slavic and Balkan cultures with dance, music, food and crafts – all for free
🌸 Blossom Valley – Wander through stunning spring blooms and enjoy family-friendly gardens in full colour.
🏁 Dads Day Drags – Burn rubber and watch street cars race all day in this ultimate Father’s Day showdown at Masterton Motorplex.
🕺 Bed By 10 – Relive 80s–2000s club hits with confetti, CO₂ cannons & crazy visuals for 30+ ravers.
🛍️ Ngaio Village Market – Craft market with plants, jewellery, food & community vibes.
📸 World Press Photo Exhibition 2025 – Award-winning photojournalism at Tākina.

🔥 In This Week's Buzz

🕰️ Welly's Time Machine – The tale of Wellington's first public library and its dramatic demise
🌟 Local Legends – ELLEN G: Petone’s colourful hub for joyful art & design
🍽️ Food & Drink – Good Fortune Coffee: Living wage lattes with a heart
🎉 Events – 50+ reasons to venture out this weekend
🌦️ Welly Weather Watch – Rain early, sun later – weekend vibes incoming 🌞
💝 Extra Sprinkles – Kiwi Community Assistance fighting food waste for good

🕰️ Time Machine: The Rise and Fall of Wellington’s First Library

In 1841, Wellington’s first public library opened at the corner of what’s now Molesworth Street and Lambton Quay – roughly where the Cenotaph stands today. The Port Nicholson Exchange and Public Library charged a steep £5 membership (over $700 today!), putting it out of reach for most settlers. After a short run, low subscriptions forced it to close, and its collection was donated to the Wellington Mechanics’ Institute. A brief but bold attempt to bring books to the early city! 📚

🌟 Local Legends – Small Biz Gem to Check Out:

ELLEN G (109 Jackson St, Petone)

Bright, bold, and bursting with joy - that’s ELLEN G, the Jackson Street boutique of artist and designer Ellen Giggenbach. From framed prints and wall hangings to cushions, mugs, totes, and gorgeous paper crafts, every piece carries her playful mid-century inspired style. Step inside and it’s like walking into a rainbow - and you’ll almost certainly leave with a little splash of colour for your home.

🍽️ Food & Drink – Must-Try Spot This Week

Good Fortune Coffee (52 Fitzherbert St, Petone)

Staying in Petone, this favourite feels like a hug in coffee form. Housed in a mint-green villa with a burgundy roof, it’s full of quirky artwork, the hum of the roaster, and chatter that makes you want to linger. The cabinet is packed with sweet, savoury, and often vegan treats that never compromise on flavour, and yes - your dog is more than welcome. With sister spots Miss Fortune’s and Seashore Cabaret nearby, Good Fortune is quietly spreading its blend of warmth and kindness, one perfect flat white at a time.

🎉 Events: Your Weekend Lineup 🌟

Friday 5 September:

🏡 Wellington Home & Garden Show 2025
Three days of home inspiration, expert sessions and garden goodies galore.
📍 Sky Stadium | 🕙 Fri and Sat 10:00am–5:00pm (Sun 10:00am–4:00pm) | 🎟️ Adults $8

🎸 Blue Moon and Friends
Jazz, rock and pop on MOON's dance floor – the prophecy has been spoken!
📍 MOON, 167 Riddiford St, Newtown | 🕘 9:00pm–12:00am | 🎟️ $5-$10

🎭 Colour and Light
Immersive visual storytelling combining technology and artistry in stunning ways.
📍 Tapere Nui, Te Auaha, 65 Dixon St | 🕖 7:00pm | 🎟️ From $16.32

🎼 Ravel’s Opera 'L'enfant et les sortilèges'
Magical chaos as furniture, animals, and fairytale characters come to life – a French opera adventure for all ages!
📍 Hannah Playhouse, 12 Cambridge Terrace, Te Aro | 🕢 7:30pm–9:00pm | 🎟️ General $42.50, Concession $22

💃 Mastermind: A Taylor Swift Drag Show
Sing, dance, and laugh along with the biggest Swifties as drag performers celebrate every era of Taylor – a must for fans!
📍 Ivy Bar and Cabaret, 63 Cuba Street, Te Aro | 🕘 9:00pm | 🎟️ $23.25, R18

🎼 Operatunity Presents – Last Night of the Proms
Flag-waving, singalong fun with Gilbert & Sullivan, war songs, ballads, jokes, and a complimentary morning tea – Proms style!
📍 Wairarapa Events Centre, Holloway St, Carterton | 🕚 11:00am–12:45pm | 🎟️ From $35+, All Ages

😂 Comedians Getting Tattoed and Doing Stand-up While Sitting Down
Watch stand-up comedians get inked live in a sterile environment – hilarity (and tattoos) guaranteed!
📍 The Fringe Bar, 26 Allen Street | 🕗 8:00pm–10:00pm | 🎟️ $20–$30 | R18

🎷 Jazz Orchestra Composer Series Presents John Rae
Celtic-inspired jazz that'll get your toes tapping! Experience award-winning John Rae’s vibrant ensemble live.
📍 Bedlam and Squalor, Upstairs, 18 Garrett Street, Te Aro | 🕖 7:00pm–8:30pm | 🎟️ $15–$20 | R18

📣 Airhorn! Election Special
Vote with laughter! Comedy, political quips, maps, tallies, and surprise guests await in this election-themed night of hilarity.
📍 Corner Rintoul & Colombo Streets, Wellington | 🕗 8:00pm–9:30pm | 🎟️ $18–$40 | R16

🎷 Jazz in Martinborough 2025
Friday: April’s Fools swing & blues. Saturday: RNZAF Jazz Orchestra big band.
📍 Waihinga Centre, Martinborough | 🕢 5–6 Sep 7:30pm–10pm | 🎟️ $45–$49 | All Ages

🎤 Cringeworthy: The 90’s
Relive the 90s with NZ hits, cheesy comedy & retro dance moves!
📍 Circa Theatre, Wellington | 🕗 8:00pm-10:00pm | 🎟️ $25–$60 | All Ages

🎭 Ration the Queen’s Veges
A one-man play inspired by a real-life act of defiance at Te Papa, exploring activism and change.
📍 Circa Theatre, Wellington | 🕢 7:30pm-8:20pm | 🎟️ $25–$60 | R12

🎷 Friday Jazz at The Runholder
Enjoy an afternoon of timeless jazz classics with The Sunflowers Jazz Trio. Includes a Lighthouse Gin & Tonic and shared platter.
📍 The Runholder, Martinborough | 🕓 4–6pm | 🎟️ $49 incl. platter & drink | All Ages

📰 World Press Photo Exhibition 2025
See the year’s best photojournalism, featuring powerful, thought-provoking images from around the globe.
📍 Tākina, 50 Cable St, Te Aro | 🕙 From 10am | 🎟️ $11-$21 | All Ages

🎧 WAREHOUSE RAVE FT. COKI
Dubstep legend Coki hits a secret inner-city Wellington warehouse with heavyweight subs, plus support from Babetech, Dusty, and SYLC b2b Young Gho$t.
📍 Secret Central Wellington Location | 🕗 8pm–2am | 🎟️ Tickets from $42.86 | R18

Saturday 6 September

🎶 Great Sounds Great Festival 2025
One night, 10 venues, 40+ Aotearoa artists – indie, hip hop, blues, and more across Cuba Street!
📍 San Fran & various venues, 171 Cuba St | 🕓 4:00pm–3:00am | 🎟️ $89–$99 | All Ages Licensed

🕺 Bed By 10: The Ultimate 30+ Clubbing Experience
Relive 80s, 90s & early 2000s club hits with confetti, CO₂ cannons, and crazy visuals—all for Wellington ravers 30+ who want to be home by 10!
📍 The Garden Hotel, 63 Courtenay Pl | 🕗 4pm–9pm | 🎟️ Tickets From $35 | 30+

🇧🇷 Brazilian Independence Day Celebration
Celebrate Brazil’s culture with live music, dancing, and traditional eats like feijoada, pastel de queijo, and coxinhas!
📍 Puro Chile, 18 Willis St | 🕓 From 4pm | 🎟️ $5 Entry | All Ages

📣 Fee Thompson Studio/Gallery – 2 Year Celebration
Celebrate two years in Ngaio with local artist Fee Thompson! Enjoy 30% off limited edition unframed prints and browse her vibrant studio after a coffee from Dough Bakery or Ngaio Village Café.
📍 55a Ottawa Rd, Ngaio | 🎟️ Free entry | All Ages

📣 Roger Hall’s Easy Money
A hilarious farce of greed, double-crosses, and dodgy deals in a swanky harbourside Airbnb.
📍 Mana Little Theatre, Plimmerton | 🕢 7:30pm–10:00pm | 🎟️ $20–$25 | R14

📣 Wairarapa Farmers’ Market
Enjoy local produce, artisan goods, live music, and a relaxed morning under the majestic Redwood Tree.
📍 Solway Showgrounds, Masterton | 🕘 9:00am–1:00pm | 🎟️ Free Entry | All Ages

📣 Saturday Laughs with Ben Hurley and Josh Thomson
Top Kiwi comedy with MC Ben Hurley and headline Josh Thomson - laughs, improv, and local comedy legends.
📍 Upper Hutt Cosmopolitan Club | 🕢 7:30pm–9:15pm | 🎟️ $31–$44 | R18

📣 CPW Capital Carnage
Pro wrestlers from NZ & Australia battle for CPW Gold, featuring the unique Isolation Chamber match - family-friendly action and surprises!
📍 Whirinaki Whare Taonga, 836 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt | 🕡 6:30pm–9:00pm | 🎟️ $10–$44 | All Ages

🎵 Bill Hickman, Cindy Muggeridge & Neil Billington Play Hilltop
Folk, blues & boogie night with Bill Hickman opening, followed by Cindy & Neil’s lively set.
📍 Hilltop, 17 Upland Road, Kelburn, Wellington | 🕖 7:00pm–9:00pm | 🎟️ $35.84 | All Ages

🎨 Te Papa Foundation Gala
An elegant evening of cocktails, a three-course dinner, live music, and a charity auction supporting Te Papa’s future.
📍 Te Papa, 55 Cable St, Wellington | 🕡 6:30pm–11:30pm | 🎟️ $300–$3,000 | Adults Only

🌍 Slavfest NZ 2025: Festival of Slavic and Balkan Culture
Celebrate Slavic & Balkan music, dance, food, crafts, and workshops for all ages!
📍 Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre, 11 Hutchison Rd, Newtown | 🕙 10:00am–6:30pm | 🎟️ Free Entry | All Ages

🎸 Wellington Bluegrass Society presents: The Cattlestops
Cowboy jazz & country quartet performing originals and hits from NZ films.
📍 Abandoned Taproom, 38 Fitzherbert St, Petone | 🕗 8:00pm–10:15pm | 🎟️ General $30 / Members & Children $25 | All Ages

🍸 Urban Cocktail Trail – Wellington
Discover the best bars in Pōneke on a self-guided cocktail adventure! Enjoy bites, signature drinks, and great vibes across six participating venues.
📍 Ernesto's, 1 Grey St, Te Aro | 🕐 1:00pm–5:00pm | 🎟️ The Connoisseur $99 / Trailblazer $75 | R18

🛍️ Community Garage Sale – Karori
Hunt for bargains, enjoy a fun morning out, and support your local community at St Ninian’s!
📍 St Ninian's Uniting Church, 208 Karori Rd, Karori | 🕘 9:00am–1:00pm | 🎟️ Free Entry | All Ages

🌏 Masterton Cultural Festival
Celebrate diversity with stalls, music, food, and performances from local cultural groups! Family-friendly and free.
📍 Queen Elizabeth Park, Dixon St, Masterton | 🕥 10:30am–2:00pm | 🎟️ Free Entry | All Ages

🎻 Wairarapa Youth Orchestra: Around The World With Music
Experience a global musical journey with the Wairarapa Youth Orchestra, featuring tunes from Africa, Europe, and Asia, including Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Support local youth music education!
📍 Wairarapa Events Centre, Holloway St, Carterton | 🕒 3:00pm | 🎟️ Adults $16, Children 5–18 $6, Under 5s Free | All Ages

😂 Cantina Comedy Spring Spectacular
12 comedians, 5 minutes each – fast-paced laughs, fresh sets, and a buzzing beachside atmosphere. Drinks flowing, vibes high, just $10!
📍 Sunday Cantina, 31 Poplar Ave, Raumati Beach | 🕖 7:00pm-9:00pm | All Ages

🛍️ Paekākāriki Market Day
Monthly market with an eclectic mix of crafts, skincare, food, plants, books, and second-hand treasures. Great coffee and vibes for the whole family!
📍 St Peters Village Hall, Paekākāriki | 🕙 10:00am–2:00pm | Free Admission | All Ages

🌸 Te Wā o Te Kōanga – Spring Festival
Celebrate spring at Wellington Botanic Garden with flowers, family fun, art, garden tours, and performers. Free admission for all ages!
📍 Wellington Botanic Garden, Kelburn | 🕤 9:30am–4:00pm | Free Entry | All Ages

🌸 Blossom Valley
Wander beneath 350+ pink blossoms at Aston Norwood Gardens, Upper Hutt. Enjoy high teas, hot chocolate, and stables eatery. Tickets vary by age and session - prebook weekends to avoid disappointment!
📍 Aston Norwood Gardens, 1747 State Highway 2, Kaitoke | 🕘 9:00am–10:00pm | $7.50-$20 | All Ages

🌿 Around the World In Fifteen Plants – Guided Walk
Join a 60-minute guided walk at Wellington Botanic Garden to hear the stories of 15 plants from around the world.
📍 Wellington Botanic Garden, Kelburn | 🕜 1:30pm–2:30pm | $5 cash only (free for Friends) | All Ages

♻️ Te Aro Zero Waste Just Sew Repair Cafe
Take climate action while learning new skills! Bring 1–2 clothing or lightweight items to repair with help from skilled volunteers. Buttons, patches, and hemming repairs available.
📍 Te Aro Zero Waste @ Sustainability Trust, 2 Forresters Lane | 🕐 1:00pm–4:00pm | Free Entry

✂️ Wellington Frocktails 2025
Cocktails and sewing socialising – show off your handmade garments with pride!
📍 two/fiftyseven, 70 Victoria St | 🕖 7:00pm–10:00pm

Sunday 7 September - Fathers Day

🎷 Sunday Jazz – The Undercurrent All-Stars
Live jazz every Sunday in a cozy bohemian setting, featuring swinging 1940s–50s tunes with complimentary snacks, wine, beer, tea & coffee.
📍 The Undercurrent, 118 Tory Street | 🕞 3:30pm–4:30pm | $16.20 | All Ages

🛍️ Ngaio Village Market
Springtime craft market with plants, flowers, jewellery, clothing, homewares, kids’ items, artisanal food & coffee. A perfect community outing!
📍 Ngaio Town Hall, 1 Ottawa Rd, Ngaio | 🕙 10:00am–3:00pm | Free Entry | All Ages

🎶 Music at the Begonia House – Gale Force Choir
Inclusive gospel choir performing Southern US-inspired arrangements. Free seating, entry by donation to Begonia House refurbishment. Perfect for music lovers of all ages!
📍 Wellington Botanic Garden, 101 Glenmore St, Kelburn | 🕚 11:00am–12:00pm | Entry by donation | All Ages

💌 An Invitation to Love
Cantoris Choir performs romantic and sacred choral works, including pieces by Tallis, Whitacre, Lauridsen, and local composer Jonathan Berkahn.
📍 St Peter's on Willis, 211 Willis St, Te Aro | 🕒 3:00pm–5:00pm | 🎟️ Adults $25 / Concession $20 / Under 18 Free | All Ages

🎷 Sunday Jazz – Honey Boulton
Funky, jazzy, soulful Sunday vibes with Honey Boulton performing originals from bebop to ballads. Beer, hangs, and live jazz!
📍 The Rogue and Vagabond, 18 Garrett St | 🕔 5:00pm–7:00pm | 🎟️ Free Entry | All Ages

🏎️ Dads Day Drags – Masterton Motorplex
The ultimate street car showdown! Racing kicks off at 10am - fun for racers, fans, and anyone who loves the smell of burnt rubber.
📍 Masterton Motorplex, Manaia Road, Masterton | 🕙 10:00am–5:00pm | 🎟️ $20 cash only (under 14 free) | All Ages

🎸 Quite Some Company – Free Father’s Day Live Music
Live, local, and a bit crazy! Three-piece band playing 70’s–90’s hits plus classics and modern tunes. Family-friendly and FREE this Father’s Day!
📍 Abandoned Taproom, 38 Fitzherbert St, Petone, Lower Hutt | 🕓 4:00pm–7:00pm | 🎟️ Free Admission | RP18

😂 Dope As Sunday Comedy – September
Kick back after church with a hilarious lineup: Emma Wollum, Booth the Clown, Oliver Pol & Mo Munn! Hosted by Daniel & Anya.
📍 The Fringe Bar, 26 Allen Street | 🕖 7:00pm–9:00pm | 🎟️ $20 General, $10 Students/Elderly/Community Card | R18

🌦️ Welly Weather Watch

🌧️ Friday: Showers, turning to rain with heavy falls at night. High 14°C, low 9°C
🌦️ Saturday: A few showers, clearing to fine in the afternoon. High 13°C, low 6°C
⛅ Sunday: Mainly fine, chance of a shower. High 13°C, low 6°C

💕 Extra Sprinkles

Kiwi Community Assistance rescues surplus food and household goods from businesses, then redistributes them to frontline agencies helping Wellington families in need. They're not just fighting food waste – they're fighting inequality one banana box at a time. From fresh produce to clothing and school supplies, KCA makes sure nothing useful hits the landfill when it could help a local whānau instead.

👉 Learn more at kca.org.nz or follow their monthly impact stats showing just how much good they're doing.

Spring's showing up in style this weekend, with something for every mood and weather forecast. Whether you're getting inspired at the Wellington Home & Garden Show, dancing at Great Sounds Great, or discovering your next favourite coffee spot, make it a weekend to remember. See you out there!

Ngā mihi nui,
Kirstie & Steve