Stories

It was cloudless skies and happy smiles as dozens of floats travelled down Anglesea St at this year’s First Credit Union Christmas Parade.

‍

Hundreds of families lined the street to watch, wave, and cheer as the procession went past on Sunday afternoon.

‍

For Teterina Ronald and her kids Selah and Zion, it was their seventh year enjoying the spectacle.

‍

“We've really enjoyed every time, every year, with our kids,” Ronald said. “As they grow up, each year, it just gets bigger and bigger.

‍

“So this is a bit of a family tradition.”

‍

She said they enjoyed seeing the Chinese dragon and the Māori float.

‍

“We also enjoy all the kids that take part in it and the dancing and the cheerleading as well.”

‍

Both kids were looking forward to the Christmas season - Selah said she was excited for their family holiday and Zion was looking forward to Santa coming.

‍

Meanwhile, Suzanne Wong and Melanie Burr came to the parade each year with their families and friends.

‍

Wong said her daughter Dakota was looking forward to seeing Santa, the elves, and the princesses, while Burr’s son Cooper was excited to see the trucks and the cars in the procession.

‍

Hamilton’s favourite - and possibly least controversial - statue is soon to make a triumphant return to his traditional home in Embassy Park.

‍

Actually, Riff Raff is already back. He’s just all wrapped up and nonchalantly tucked away in a corner of the park outside the new Waikato Regional Theatre.

‍

Riff Raff Public Arts Trust chairman Mark Servian said the Riff Raff statue was lifted back into his old home by a mobile crane last Thursday.

‍

The effigy of the deviant butler from The Rocky Horror Show will remain under wraps until shortly before the park - which is still under construction - is opened to the public.

‍

Are you looking for reliable, comfortable shuttle rides around the Waikato region? Te Awa Shuttles, proudly operated by River Riders, offers premium transportation services tailored to meet the needs of tourists, locals and travellers alike. As a 100% mana wahine Māori owned business, they bring cultural authenticity and exceptional service to every journey.

‍

Premium Fleet for All Your Transportation Needs

Te Awa Shuttles boasts an impressive fleet designed to accommodate various group sizes and transportation requirements:

• Luxury 12-Seater Shuttle – Perfect for group transfers, events, and tours

• Five-Seater Electric Ute – Environmentally friendly transport option for smaller groups

• Professional Drivers – All drivers hold TSL (Transport Service License) and P endorsement, ensuring your safety and comfort

‍

What sets Te Awa Shuttles apart is their commitment to providing premium service while honouring Māori values and sustainability principles. The sleek black vehicles offer stylish transportation with professional drivers who know the Waikato region intimately.

‍

This festive season looks like it’ll be a mixed bag for Hamilton’s hospitality scene - but one key player sees a $3.2b boost on the horizon.

With Christmas, and Christmas party season, kicking off the Waikato Times spoke to two of Hamilton’s key hospitality players to get their gauge on how the sector was looking.

Cook Bar owner and Hospitality NZ Waikato president Chris Rollitt was able to offer some Christmas cheer.

“We’re busy,” he said.

“A lot of workplaces start to do that social connection thing. You’re getting bigger groups coming out, wind-up functions. [They are] just celebrating getting through the year.”

‍

Hamilton’s newest culinary offerings are preparing to step into the spotlight — and some of them have already taken centre stage.

Five distinct eateries and bars are set to open in the Waikato Regional Theatre precinct, with two already open to the public. Visitors can already get a bite to eat before washing it down with a drink at the newly opened Hamilton Hotel and revamped Wonder Horse bar.

Hamilton Hotel owner Mat Pedley, who is also behind popular local eatery Mr Pickles, said it was a “phenomenal” feeling to be opening in the new theatre.

He described the venue as “French meets New York bistro” inspired. The interior was designed by local firm Designwell, and features plush banquettes, large windows looking onto the street front and oak detailing.

‍

Ballet fans in the Waikato will not want to be caught napping for this production.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s first official show at the new Waikato Regional Theatre will be Sleeping Beauty, which will tuck itself in for a three-day residency in November next year.

Featuring the music of Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the ballet’s story is one that will be familiar to almost everyone: A princess falls into an enchanted sleep after pricking her finger, but is eventually wakened by a kiss from her true love.

It was first staged in 1890 in St Petersburg, quickly becoming the second-most popular ballet in the repertoire of the Royal Imperial Ballet.

At full length it runs to a whopping four hours. Waikato audiences will be relieved - or possibly disappointed - they will be getting the more popular shortened version.

However it is still a big deal. There are 200 costumes - not including headdresses or shoes - and 32 dancers. About 60 people are involved in staging the show.

‍

The Waikato Regional Theatre will become disco central on Tuesday, February 3, when British pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor comes to play.

The Hamilton venue is one of only two on her just-announced tour of New Zealand - the other being the James Hay Theatre in Christchurch.

One of the biggest British artists to emerge from the early 2000s, Ellis-Bextor established her pop diva credentials with hits like Murder On The Dancefloor, Get Over You and Take Me Home.

Now with seven studio albums to her name. Ellis-Bextor’s discography encompases numerous genres, from dance-pop and folk to prog-rock and orchestral pop.

The London-born Ellis-Bextor grew up in a creative household, and took an interest in performing at an early age.

‍

Families can kick off the summer holidays with an interactive neon quest as multi-sensory show GLOtron! comes to Hamilton.

Described as a blend of science, education, art, storytelling and puppetry that combines all of Glow Show’s previous installations, GLOtron! will pop up in Centre Place Shopping Centre from December 6.

Glow Show creative director Sarah Burren told the Waikato Times that while she did not want to give too much away, families could expect the installation to be like “walking into a giant storybook”.

“It’s a 40-minute experience where you have a quest and beautiful photo opportunities. The whole thing is glow-in-the-dark.”

The show will include 350 characters and puppets from popular stories such as Matariki, Bad Jelly the Witch, and more.

‍

A relaxed and classy vibe awaits food lovers, with the flavours of Thai cuisine coming to life, right in the heart of Hamilton central.

Thai Classic, at the northern end of Victoria St, has been operating for 15 years and can fit up to 35 diners with Noi McKay taking over three years ago.

The previous incarnation of Thai Classic had blue carpet and maroon-coloured walls, which McKay did not like.

She gave the walls a greener, “more relaxed and classy” look and the flooring a wood lino look.

“Green is also my favourite colour,” McKay said.

In addition to Thai Classic, McKay is also the co-owner of Chim Thai restaurant in Rototuna, with Don McIlraith.

‍

‍

It’s arguably Hamilton’s most significant artwork. It was probably the most unloved - for a while at least - and it is almost certainly the most valuable.

And now the iconic, large scale mural - created in 1973 by famed New Zealand artist Ralph Hotere and installed in the now-demolished Founders Theatre - has been placed inside its “forever home” in the Waikato Regional Theatre.

It’s the latest major development in an increasingly exciting series of developments, which will come to a head when the new theatre opens on January 19 with three nights of community-led celebrations.

Soon after will be the official launch event in the form of a concert by the acclaimed musician Teeks, followed by a sold-out show by the revered Dave Dobbyn - who has just added a second show the following night.

‍

‍

A new bar could be on the cards in central Hamilton, but its owners are remaining tight-lipped on the venture as yet.

The Waikato Times understands Good George brewing director Jason Macklow is looking to build a new pub on Barton St, where the Coffee Studio is currently located.

The site was purchased in 2018 by Future Properties NZ Limited for $1.8 million.

Records show Macklow is the sole director of Future Properties NZ Limited.

When contacted by the Waikato Times, Macklow confirmed he had bought the Barton St site.

But he declined to confirm what sort of hospitality venture would be developed, saying it’s confidential at the moment.

‍

Macklow said he hasn’t decided what would be located at Barton St and would provide more detail in the new year.

Macklow, along with Darrel Hadley were the founders of the Phoenix Group, which owns numerous restaurants and bars around Hamilton. The pair have decades of involvement in the Hamilton hospitality scene, originating at the now Lawrenson Group-owned Outback Inn and Iguana in the 1990s.

‍

‍

Hamilton has been recognised on the international stage for the Love the Centre campaign -- taking out the award over finalists from Sydney and Melbourne.

The Hamilton Central Business Association (HCBA) won the Best Traditional or Digital Marketing Award at the Mainstreet Australia 2025 Awards for the campaign.

The awards featured finalists from all over Australia and New Zealand, and honoured groups who were revitalising main streets.

HCBA General Manager Vanessa Williams said the group decided to enter the competition while organising their own Love the Centre Awards last year.

The HBCA were “so incredibly proud of the work that we had done with Daymark around the creation of the Love centre website”.

“So we thought, actually, yeah, let's put our money where our mouth is and, and see if there is an award programme that we could enter that celebrates our achievement as well.”

Asked how it felt to take out the award over other finalists, Williams said, “there was a lot of pride of Hamilton representing on the international stage against business associations in Sydney and Melbourne”.

“There was a little bit of chest puffing, I'll be honest.”

She said that the award recognised how the Love the Centre campaign showcased the city centre and local businesses.

“With our international flights we have with Jetstar now, you know, encouraging people over from Sydney and the Gold Coast, it's great to be able to profile the best of Hamilton City centre, and I think we do that.”

And what’s next for Love the Centre?

Williams said the HCBA were still growing the content of the site, and were listing more businesses. She added they were also looking into how they could use AI in the campaign.

“We're looking at different things that will make this a really functional site that people ... can use to really find the best of Hamilton Central.”

‍

‍