Food, Wine & A Speakeasy, Plus More Fun Things For The Weekend

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See The Beths at the Tuning Fork this June. Photo / Mason Fairey

Discover a speakeasyA heady evening is coming to Wellington’s St Johns Bar and Eatery as they transform their haunt into a 1920s-inspired speakeasy for one night only as part of the part of the city-wide Eat Drink Play festival.

Expect cocktails, live jazz and blues and a menu ranging from cheeseburger sliders to churros and oysters with dipping sauce. Friday May 14 at 8pm. Tickets are $49. 5 Cable St, Te Aro, Wellington.

Visit a sample saleAnother worthy endeavour to support, New Zealand menswear brand Asuwere is hosting a circularity-focused fundraiser sale featuring samples and end of line items, with $10 from every purchase going to Koha Apparel to expand its service – the non-profit provides free, good quality clothing to vulnerable members of the community, but it needs more space and another van to respond to demand.

Clothes are essential to its service too, and Asuwere has also been donating its subscribers' unneeded clothing to Koha Apparel as part of the apparel retailer’s ‘Give to Get’ loop-closing scheme.

Asuwere Sample Sale is on this Saturday May 15, 10am-4pm. 3 Scanlan St, Grey Lynn. Can't make it to the sale? Donate at Givealittle.co.nz/cause/koha-apparel-is-expanding

Take a twilight tour of the museumAuckland Museum is opening its doors late into the night on May 18 and May 25 for road-less-travelled 45-minute tours through its halls with actor-led “detour guides”.

Learn about Tamaki Makaurau's history in the new exhibition Tamaki Herenga Waka Stories of Auckland, before finishing with a complimentary glass of something (bubbles, beer and beyond) at the Tuitui Museum Bistro & Cafe. Tickets are $35 per person, or $31.50 for museum members. Aucklandmuseum.com

Check out the Waiheke Wine & Food Festival this weekend. Photo / Supplied
Check out the Waiheke Wine & Food Festival this weekend. Photo / Supplied

Donate to India's Covid-19 relief effortThe country is reeling from its current wave of Covid-19, and there are some ways you can help, including dining at vegetarian restaurant East, where 100 per cent of the money you spend on May 20 will go towards supporting the country's medical response. We've collated some initiatives both local and international that are in need of support: 10 Ways To Support India's Covid-19 Crisis.

Have a beer at Basement TheatreA unique brew from Garage Project is back on the shelf and shining a light on Aotearoa’s theatre industry. With superstitious origins (playhouse tradition is to leave a light on to ward off ghosts) Ghost Light initially launched in August 2020 as a limited-edition beer, with $1 from each can donated to the country’s hard-hit theatre community.

Nine months on, with the stage industry still reeling from the impact of Covid-19, the local brewery is rereleasing the hazy IPA as part of its core range this time donating 40 kegs to live venues around the country to help them raise additional funds. If you order a Ghost Light at the likes of Basement Theatre or Wellington’s BATS, the full proceeds go to the venue something well worth raising a glass to.

Head to the Waiheke Island Food and Wine FestivalThe Island’s three-day, multi-site festival for foodies and oenophiles begins this Friday, May 14.

Grab a festival passport for $180 to experience over 10 participating vineyards, food pairings, live music and a closing party at Wild Estate, plus hop-on-hop-off shuttle services and a return ferry ticket back to the mainland. Daily from 10am to 4pm, Friday May 14 to Sunday May 16. Waihekefestival.nz

Take a tour through the Auckland Museum at night. Photo / Supplied
Take a tour through the Auckland Museum at night. Photo / Supplied

BOOK AHEAD

See Hiatus KaiyoteBeloved jazz-funk four-piece Hiatus Kaiyote, fronted by Naomi "Nai Palm" Saalfield, are returning to New Zealand in the wake of their new album Mood Valiant, their first since 2015's Choose Your Weapon.

Tickets are on sale now for their not-to-be-missed shows on Friday September 24 at Auckland's Powerstation and Saturday September 25 at Wellington's Opera House.

Take to the Tuning ForkThe Tuning Fork is poised to celebrate its eighth birthday with a fittingly uproarious affair that'll see artists The Beths, Jakob, The Phoenix Foundation and Anika Moa take to its stage over the Queen's Birthday weekend. June 3 to June 7 at 42-80 Mahuhu Crescent, Parnell. Tickets range from $35 to $40 and are available from Moshtix.co.nz.

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