Bagpipes, bonsai and orchids
Your Hutt week, 8 to 14 Oct
This weekend
Six picks for Saturday and Sunday
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NZ Bonsai Expo
Displays, vendors, competitions and live demonstrations from an international expert and several New Zealand bonsai specialists. The council listing shows $10 entry, with door sales available.
$10 -
Wellington Orchid Society 49th Spring Show
Orchid displays, growers selling plants and supplies, and potting demonstrations (Saturday 11am, 1pm and 2.30pm; Sunday 11am and 1pm). The same venue holds a free book sale on Saturday, Sunday and Monday (10, 11 and 12 October), 10am to 4pm each day.
$4, under 12s free -
Tartan Up The Green
Bagpipe and Highland drumming competitions, Highland dancing, food and drinks.
Free -
Well Made Craft Festival
Handmade crafts, meet the makers, artisan food and hands-on workshops. Workshops run from $30 to $85 and some go until 4pm; book on the festival page.
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Show n Shine motorcycle display
A display of motorcycles put on by Riders Against Cancer, raising money for Cancer Society Wellington, with food, raffles and a People's Choice vote for favourite bike.
Free -
Ride Block Party
Bring your bike for a free service from Free Ride, and enjoy information stalls, health checks, free food, music and kids' activities. The Electoral Commission is there too for voter enrolment.
Free
More events this week
Day by day
Thursday, 8 October 2026
Dowse Square, 4pm to 8pm. Food trucks and live music, free, every Thursday.
U-PLAY school holiday events in Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt. Running to Saturday 10 October. Today: poi making at Whirinaki Whare Taonga from 10am to 2pm, and the Chameleon Camouflage game at Upper Hutt Central Library from 2pm to 3pm. Friday has sticker making at Dawn's Atelier, 123-125 Main Street, 10am to 11am (bookings required). The giant jigsaw is at the Central Library all holidays. Full timetable and bookings at upperhutt.govt.nz/community/u-play.
Moera Community House, 107 Randwick Crescent. Wool pictures 9am to 11am and a 3D ice cream 1pm to 3pm. $35 each, for under-12s, tickets through Eventfinda.
Friday, 9 October 2026
War Memorial Library, 2 Queens Drive, 2pm to 4pm. Free, no booking.
Saturday, 10 October 2026
Upper Hutt Baptist Church, 1 Milton Street, 10am to 2pm. Volunteers fix broken household items, bikes, clocks and more for free or koha. Items arriving after 1.30pm may run out of time.
The 162, 162 Gracefield Road, 5.30pm to 8pm. All ages. General admission $10.25 including fees, with family passes available.
Monday, 12 October 2026
Hutt City Church, 22 Marsden Street, 11am to 12.45pm. A daytime concert by Operatunity. $42 in advance, $45 at the door.
After School Bike Play and Craft
Te Tōpūnga Hapori i Daly Street, 9 Daly Street, 3pm to 5pm. Free. Bring your own bike or borrow one.
Tuesday, 13 October 2026
Kōraunui Stokes Valley Neighbourhood Hub, 186 Stokes Valley Road, 9.30am to 1pm. No booking. Bring your car seat manual.
Wednesday, 14 October 2026
War Memorial Library, 6.30pm to 7.30pm. Free, all ages, words or music. Runs on the second Wednesday of each month.
Council and roadworks
SH2 at Melling, night lane closures. Southbound lane closures from the Melling Link intersection to north of the Normandale Road overbridge, 8pm to 5am. Tonight (Thursday 8 October) is the last night of this round, then it runs again Sunday 11 to Thursday 15 October. Southbound traffic is down to one lane while crews relocate services.
SH1 Wellington urban motorway, overnight closures. Southbound lanes close from Ngauranga Interchange into the city from 9pm to 4.30am, Sunday to Thursday nights until 15 October, with traffic management from 7pm. The detour is Hutt Road, Aotea Quay and Waterloo Quay. Tunnel closures overnight: Terrace Tunnel Sunday 11 and Monday 12 October, Mt Victoria Tunnel Tuesday 13 October, Arras Tunnel Wednesday 14 October.
Hutt Valley and Melling lines. Metlink lists no buses replacing trains on the Hutt Valley or Melling lines from Thursday 8 to Wednesday 14 October. Coming up on the Hutt Valley line: buses replace all services between Wellington and Upper Hutt on Saturday 17 October, all daytime services on Sunday 18 October, and all services from Saturday 24 to Monday 26 October.
Lower Hutt, Melling project. NZTA's March update said the Queens Drive and High Street intersection (near McDonald's) would be closed until December while it is rebuilt as a traffic-light intersection. Check journeys.nzta.govt.nz for its current status before you travel. Pharazyn Street is closed through to around 2031 and Block Road is permanently closed. Allow extra time, especially at peak.
Upper Hutt roadworks (council update of 2 October). Moonshine Road Bridge No. 3 is fully closed to through traffic until Sunday 11 October. Stop/go continues on Whitemans Road to 4 December. SH2 and Totara Park Road have staged night and day works through December. Queen Street (Woolworths development) works run 9am to 3pm until March 2027.
SH58 near Moonshine Road roundabout. Night-time stop/go for pavement work, 7pm to 5.30am, with NZTA's 23 September schedule running Monday to Thursday nights until Wednesday 14 October and its 2 October update saying the work continues through October. Weather can move the dates.
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