Photo credit: Miranda Clarke. Family activities at New Year’s Eve community celebrations.
Tauranga has a wide range of activities to entertain the family these summer holidays. Keep your kids learning with a reading challenge, or a meeting with a real-life astronaut! Get rid of any pent-up energy with a trip to Waterworld Waterpark or a dance at Rockquest Waterfront Takeover.
Photo credit: Tauranga City Council. Library team member Daniel Petersen loves that his 3-year-old daughter, Wednesday, can take part in Kia Kaha te Pānui: Mini Reads this summer.
Tauranga City Libraries’ reading challenge
Tauranga City Libraries’ reading challenge
Do your kids fall victim to the ‘summer slump’? Motivate them to read throughout the summer via Kia Kaha te Pānui – Summer Reads. Tauranga City Libraries’ summer reading challenge is back this year with prizes galore. Win Whitcoulls vouchers, a pizza party, books, a swimming pass and more.
Learn more about Kia Kaha te Pānui – Summer Reads
International tennis
Catch some free professional tennis in Pāpāmoa from Sunday, 18 – Saturday, 24 December. The Eves Open – World Tennis Tour: Tauranga is part of the professional tennis circuit and will see rising stars from around the world take on our top Kiwi talent. There’ll be kids have-a-go activities from 11am – 1pm and food and drinks available, including a pop-up bar for the adults.
Read more about the Eves Open - World Tennis Tour.
Summer in our City Centre
Tauranga’s city centre will be buzzing with a vibrant calendar of events for the whole whānau to enjoy this summer. Most noteworthy is the Rockquest Waterfront Takeover on 1 – 2 January 2023. Rockquests’ best emerging acts will come together to perform two days of live music to groove to. Bring along a picnic and enjoy this free event overlooking Te Awanui, Tauranga Harbour.
If your family is more into science, STEMFest/STEM Wana Trust have partnered with NASA to host Dr Kate Rubins, a real-life astronaut, on Tauranga’s Waterfront. Dr Kate Rubins will share her inspiring story, and there’ll be a gravity simulator, interactive astronomy displays, rocket launches, star gazing opportunities and face painting. It's free to attend, but tickets are required. There's currently a waitlist with tickets being released in batches.
And for those hot and sticky January days, Waterworld Waterpark will be in Te Awanui Tauranga Harbour Tuesday, 17 January – Tuesday, 7 February to help you cool off.
See all the Summer in our City Centre events.
Photo credit: Stem Wana Trust. The community can meet an astronaut on Tauranga’s waterfront these summer holidays.
The Incubator
Not to be missed is Christmas at The Incubator Creative Hub on Saturday, 17 December with a sausage sizzle, Arthur Christmas movie screening and Santa.
While you’re there, check out the community Christmas trees that line The Historic Village entrance. The trees are a partnership between The Incubator Creative Hub, Classic Builders and The Historic Village, and are covered with decorations made by 22 community groups, kura, art societies and businesses.
Themed movies and crafts are back throughout the holiday period, with Up and bubble crafts taking place on Wednesday, 11 January 2023, and The Rise of Gru and Minion activities on Wednesday, 18 January 2023.
There are also plenty of art workshops for adults and children throughout the summer, see them all here.
8-Bit Christmas
The Hits and Pacific Toyota Present: Christmas Movie in the Park on Sunday, 18 December. Come on down to Coronation Park at 6pm to watch 8-Bit Christmas with a picnic alongside your community. Entry is free, but the organisers ask that you bring a non-perishable food bank donation to help those in need over the Christmas period.
Find out about the Christmas Move in the Park.
Beyond the Wardrobe
Presented by ballet school Turning Pointe Tauranga, this show is set in 1943 during World War 2 when parents are forced to send their children to the country for safety.
Siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent to their uncle’s strange house and, while playing hide and seek, stumble on a beautiful, snowy-white world.
Catch the performance at Baycourt Community and Arts Centre on Saturday, 17 December and Sunday, 18 December.
Find out about Beyond the Wardrobe
Photo credit: Miranda Clarke. Family activities at New Year’s Eve community celebrations.
New Year’s Eve community celebrations
Celebrate New Year’s Eve with family and friends at Tauranga City Council’s free community celebrations 6pm – 9.30pm. Enjoy live music, roving entertainment, food trucks, activities for the kids and a local MC to host. Most events will end with fireworks at 9.30pm, except for Greerton where there’ll be a laser light show.
For those who experience sensory sensitivities and/or have accessibility requirements, head to the Matua celebration which will also have an earlier celebration from 5.30pm – 6pm with limited sound and crowds.
For out about the New Year’s Eve community celebrations
Find more events for the whole family at My Tauranga