Stories

A non-stop cavalcade of top international talent is now guaranteed for the city with the world’s biggest live entertainment company signing a 15-year lease to run the Waikato Regional Theatre.

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The deal is with Live Nation, which operates top Auckland venue Spark Arena and, among other feats, recently brought Coldplay to New Zealand.

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Of Aotearoa’s four main centres - Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Hamilton - the city’s tree stands at a whopping 27m to the tip of its star and is by far the tallest.

Back in 2012, former Hamilton mayor Julie Hardaker was keen to turn the city into New Zealand's Christmas capital, but received a grinch-like response from some locals.

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Her house almost matches the store this time of year. She drives her loved ones “nuts” with her festive obsession, but that’s just tough, she says.

One of the best parts of owning the store is that she gets to share her excitement with like-minded people, who visit the store from as early as July.

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As the First Credit Union Christmas Parade organisers pitched it: “join us to see crazy characters, lively marching bands, dance group, ethnic groups, characters, amazing character balloons, and of course Santa Claus!”

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Waikato Times photographer Mark Taylor captured some of the action.

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Location: Outside Rebel Sport, Centre Place Shopping Centre

Time: 3:30 PM, 13 December

This is your chance to meet some of your favourite players, get autographs, and share the excitement as the BLACKCAPS prepare to take on England at Seddon Park.

There’ll also be spot prizes up for grabs, so bring your friends and family along for an afternoon filled with cricket fun!

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Located in the heart of Hamilton’s CBD, the chocolate themed cafe sells creamy Belgian chocolate delights, from gourmet hot chocolates to bite sized chocolate ducks and fish.

Surrounded by sugary delights every day, owner Ian Roberts-Thomson said his favourite part of the job isn’t the chocolate, but the look of delight he sees on customers’ faces.

Their bestseller is a traditional Belgian hot chocolate.

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His store Trek ‘n’ Travel - a central Hamilton institution - sells everything outdoorsy, from camping equipment to hiking gear.

But one item is a step ahead of the rest - a good, sturdy pair of hiking boots.

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These are the places where rising stars cut their teeth, members say, but they’re challenged by noise restrictions, alcohol licensing rules and the need to take on multiple tasks outside booking bands.

Prompted by the social and financial challenges of the Covid-19 lockdowns, the Independent Music Venues Association (IMVA) incorporates 29 live music venues in New Zealand and functions as a sort of union.

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The cinema had three band new 35mm Kineton projectors which were the top of the line at the time to deliver the best image possible. The projectors were matched with a state-of-the-art sound and seating and a lovely foyer to match and opened with the film MICHAEL COLLINS starring Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn and Julia Roberts.

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Despite its bar offering and up market decor the cinema struggled and was perhaps ‘before its time’. The cinema changed hands to the RIALTO group before being purchased and refurbished by its previous owner as THE LIDO CINEMA in Dec of 2009.

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It's time to mark the calendars with two of Hamilton’s beloved annual Christmas events.

The SkyCity Hamilton Christmas Tree Lighting Festival will kick off the festivities with the lighting of New Zealand's tallest Christmas tree in Garden Place on Saturday, 30 November. This exciting event promises a night of dazzling lights!

Come along to Garden Place from 5pm, where there will be food trucks, character meet and greets, face painting, balloon art and live entertainment! Don’t forget your picnic blankets.

As the sun sets, get ready for an unforgettable evening featuring fantastic live music and performances as the lights on New Zealand's biggest Christmas tree are turned-on for the first time. This spectacular tree will illuminate the nights from the end of November through to New Year.

The store is manager Sharyn Cawood’s fifth op shop after creating four stores in the past for Hospice Waikato. The Op Shop for Breast Cancer has been running since Covid.

Clinical researcher Jenni Scarlet, (“who we’re doing all of this for,” says Cawood), called Cawood during Covid, and said a new charity store would be helpful for funding clinical trials.

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One of the great benefits of the central city is the vast number of experiences on offer and there is no better one than the annual central city progressive dinner.

This exciting event is the opportunity for the public to enjoy the traditional progressive dinner model with a vibrant and exciting twist in the big city. With five restaurants on offer – each providing a meal course with a matching drink – this is a fantastic way to enjoy some of the central city’s best restaurants all in one evening.

One of the joys in exploring a city is finding spaces and places that appear off the main streets, often characterised as laneways.

Casabella Lane and Racquet Lane were described in my last column but Hamilton’s central city boasts two others that are also worthy of exploration: Bucks Way also off Barton St, and Riverbank Lane off Victoria St.Bucks Way is a laneway between Barton and Victoria streets alongside the Wilson’s car park, which is also home to the food truck markets on a Friday night.Bucks Way has a tenancy that is famous in the central city – Rocket Coffee.