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Event Calendar
July 2008
August 2008
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Week 28 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Week 29 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Week 30 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Week 31 27 28 29 30 31
Key Event
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June 1st -30th 

Join us in the Whanganui Region to celebrate Puanga; the Whanganui Matariki Celebrations 2008.

 
Local Events
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click here to view the events calendar

Featured Events

The Dogs - Hatrick Raceway
greyhounds_ad Held Weekly
Spriggens Park, Sargeant Street
Wanganui
Tel: (06) 345 6794
www.wanganuigreyhoundracingclub.co.nz

More info  

New Zealand Master Games
nzmg Held bi-annually in February
Since its inception in 1989, the NZ Masters Games has grown from 1500 entrants competing across 29 sports to over 8,000 entrants and 67 sports, making it the biggest Masters Games event in New Zealand by far. The games is a 9 day event with 67 different sports and over 580 individual events. One of the notable aspects of the games in Wanganui is the intimacy of the city. The Games Village at Springvale Park is within 10 minutes of the main street. Most venues are within 10 minutes drive of the village. You will find the sports venues to be top quality and the weather is guaranteed to be perfect.
www.nzmastersgames.com

More info  

Cemetery Circuit
 Boxing Day
cemeterycircuit.jpg New Zealand’s legendary street circuit is a must on any racing calendar. Held on Boxing Day each year, the event has seen some of the world’s best racers compete on this exciting and tight circuit. Respected internationally the Cemetery Circuit is often called the “Southern Hemisphere’s Isle of Man” and has over the years featured many world famous bike racers.
www.cemeterycircuit.co.nz
 
Heritage Weekend
 Held March/April
heritage.jpg The annual Wanganui Heritage Weekend event celebrates our people and our heritage. Activities, both free and affordable include rides on trailers behind Steam Traction Engine and cruises on the only working paddle-steamer in New Zealand - the PS Waimarie. There is a vast range of activities and events over this celebrated weekend. A great opportunity to dress up in clothes from a bygone era and experience life as it used to be. Plan your visit to Wanganui’s Heritage Weekend, and have a great time. Contact the i-SITE information centre for details and timetables.
 
Hydroplanes Downtown on the Whanganui River
 Held in February
Australasia’s fastest boats on water competing on this 2000 metre oval course to become the fastest person ever on the Whanganui River. Explode into life with this jaw-dropping action! Feel the fear! Experience the thrills! Plenty of great family entertainment, wine & food festival, bouncy castles, static displays. Don’t miss out! These mad men on water will push their craft to the limit to become the 2008 Downtown Wanganui Flying Lap Champion!!! Free entry, for more info contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or www.hydroplane.com
 
Jazzboat Festival
jazzboat2.jpg  Labour Weekend
Let your senses tingle and toes tap to the soulful melodies of many well-known Jazz Artists in Wanganui over Labour Weekend, Friday 19 – Sunday 21 October.  Events include Jazz Cruises on the historic Wanganui Paddle Steamer the P.S Waimarie. Jazz will fill the air in Wanganui this Labour Weekend - tickets will sell fast.... don’t miss out! 
 
Jet Sprints Champs
 Held each December
Some of New Zealand’s and the world’s best Jetsprint teams will be racing at Wanganui on the 27th December 2007 at the Shelter View Track on the Murray’s farm 12 km North of Wanganui on the Parapara Highway (State Hwy 4) just north of Upokongaro. Those who are keen to make a day of it and catch the early mishaps will want to arrive by 10am. If you have less of your day available, the action hots up with the sudden death eliminations after lunch, where the field is cut back in each class from 16 to 8, then 4, then the two boat final.
www.jetpro.co.nz
 
Literary Festival
Held each September
This event has been called “The booklovers event of the year.” The festival has attracted some of New Zealand’s most famous writers. Poetry Live attracts national poets and local poets to show their writing. The Legends Literary Tour, a must for those interested in literary history, brings together writers as diverse as Mark Twain, Janet Frame and Ian Cross. The festival provides several venues where local and national writers discuss their work, and give workshops on writing. These occasions allow festival goers to meet the authors. There are several home-grown events where local writers can showcase their own writing. The Wanganui Literary Festival has fast become an important cultural event in our city.
 
Mayoral Mile
 Held each February
mayormile.jpg The Mayoral Mile is the premier athletic event on the New Zealand calendar. But it is much more than that – it is also a mass participation event that provides the opportunity for everyone to complete a realizable, physical goal. To run a mile at the same venue that the legendary Peter Snell broke the world mile record in 1962. There are also celebrity mile races, a mile featuring real mayors, and shorter races for toddlers including the ‘Toddler Twenties’. Join us for another spectacular day. Complete a mile yourself – running, jogging or walking – and then sit down and witness thrilling racing from some of Australasia’s finest athletes.
www.mayoralmile.co.nz
 
Mountains to Sea, Multisport Adventure Race
 Labour Weekend
Pound your way through a mountain run in the Tongariro National Park World Heritage Area. Pedal beautiful back country rural roads. Paddle the mighty Whanganui River. Seven stages: two runs, three rides, two paddles – there’s something for everyone in the Mountains to Sea multisport adventure! It’s a race package with outstanding value, put together by a team responsible for some of New Zealand’s most wicked events.
www.mountainstosea.co.nz
 
New Zealand Superstock Champs
 Held in February
The New Zealand Superstock Champs return to Ocean View Speedway on Friday 22nd February & Saturday 23rd February 2008. This is the first time the blue ribbon event of NZ Speedway has been held at Wanganui since 1995. The tight nature of the Ocean View track ensures that every one of the expected 70 plus entries will see themselves as having a chance of claiming the NZ1 race number handed to the winning driver. The Friday night’s racing will involve qualifying heats where the 26 finalists will be found for the Saturday night. The overall victor will be the driver accumulating the most points over the 3 finals on the Saturday night. Supporting classes will race on both nights.
www.oceanviewspeedway.co.nz
 
Puanga
 Held in June
Nau mai, Haere mai. Join us in the Whanganui Region to celebrate Puanga; the Whanganui Matariki Celebrations. The appearance of the star Puanga (Rigel) or the star cluster Matariki (Pleiades) in the winter sky, connects Māori to land and sea, foodharvesting, weather patterns, the Maramataka (Lunar Calendar), entertainment and learning. Our Puanga festival is an open invitation for the Whanganui community (and the rest of the world!) to learn and experience our aspects of traditional Māori life from astral navigation to a cutting edge fashion show, an art exhibition, a planting day, Marae open-days, Kapa Haka, musical events and much more.
www.puanga.org.nz
 
Wanganui Festival of Glass
 Held in September
glassfestival.jpg In September 2007 the Wanganui Glass Group will launch the inaugural Wanganui Festival of Glass, building on a highly successful Glass Week held in 2006. An exhibition at the city’s majestic Sarjeant Gallery will celebrate 20 years of glass practice in Wanganui. “Glass on Mainstreet” sees shop windows come alive with stunning glass artworks by local artists and current students of the Wanganui Glass School will exhibit their innovative glass works at the Alexander Library. Watch the hot glass process with demonstrations by local artists or have a go and enrol in one of the short intensive glass workshops being offered.
www.wanganuiglass.com
 
Whanganui Artist’s Open Studios Weekend
Held annually in late March/early April
Artists open their studios to everyone wishing to see just what goes into creating an artwork … print making, painting, glass, ceramics, sculpture, music and multimedia works.
www.whanganuiopenstudios.org.nz.