It’s the biggest regional weekend in New Zealand every year, not only do Northerners get three days off in a row to experience the Auckland weather and middle of summer in all it’s glory, but the weekend is also host to events galore, bringing in thousands by the truckload.
Auckland Anniversary Day is observed not just throughout the Auckland region but the wider historic province of Auckland, encompassing much of the northern section of the North Island. It is a statutory holiday which falls on the closest Monday to January 29, making a long weekend for over a million people.
The date of January 29 is celebrated as the anniversary day because it signifies the arrival date to New Zealand of the first Governor of New Zealand and co-author of the Treaty of Waitangi, William Hobson, in 1840.
Events during Auckland Anniversary Weekend
Fire and Light Show
What’s a public holiday without fireworks? The entertainment of a lit-up sky is something Aucklanders, like members of all big cities, relish whenever possible. Auckland Anniversary weekend would not start out right without the Fire and Light Show, which opens the weekend annually on the Friday night. A spectacle for both Aucklanders and out-of-towners, this event is truly one to enjoy over a bottle of chilled bubbles. Additionally, the Fire and Light Show is supplemented by the musical delights of both classical and modern musicians on stage.
The Auckland Seafood Festival
Celebrate Auckland’s maritime history with the Auckland Seafood Festival, held rain or shine over all three days of the long weekend. Sample some of New Zealand’s finest seafood delights, from your favourite catch of the day to various unusual delicacies. Contemporary musicians perform throughout the festival, and all proceeds are donated to the Rotary Stellar Trust to support the ‘Say No to P’ campaign. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the gate, or pre-purchased for $10 from Ticketmaster.
Viaduct Showcase
The Viaduct Showcase, held on the Sunday of the long weekend, is a free entertainment event with popular bands and artists, giant video screens, and shows by the NZ Navy, NZ Army, Airforce, Police and the Fire Brigade.
Auckland Regatta
The Auckland Regatta is the largest single-day yachting regatta in the world, and has been held since Auckland was founded in 1840. The first regatta was an impromptu three-race affair which William Hobson himself participated in, and is even older than the famous America’s Cup regatta, which was first held 11 years later.
Today, many classes of boat races are catered for, from multi-million dollar racing fleets to radio-controlled yachts. Also included are optimist, centre-boarder, classic vessel, keelboat, multi-hull and the popular tug boat races. The regatta is distinctively Auckland, and firms its nickname as the City of Sails. It brings Auckland’s harbour and the surrounding viaduct to life and vibrancy, and is an annual event not to be missed.
This article was kindly supplied by NZS.