What’s on this weekend in Auckland: Short-film festival, seedling sale, vintage market and more

Made to Shine exhibition by Garry Nash ONZM.A piece from Made to Shine.

On now until October 19 at Black Door Gallery in Parnell is Made to Shine, a special exhibition of glass by acclaimed artist Garry Nash, ONZM, supporting the work of family violence service provider Shine. Sixty per cent of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the organisation, giving Kiwis a chance to support women and children affected by family violence while adding an important work of New Zealand studio glass to their collections. The works will also be available online for the duration of the exhibition, offering art collectors and followers of the artist an opportunity to secure rare and beautiful works while helping to fund essential work in the community. Shine relies on generous donors to help provide practical support and dignity to clients dealing with complex trauma, and you could be one of them.

3) An evening with a stoic

The Daily Stoic founder Ryan Holiday.

New York Times best-selling author and The Daily Stoic founder Ryan Holiday brings his global take on the philosophy to Auckland’s Bruce Mason Theatre this Tuesday night. The author will share the practical principles that have made his work essential reading for leaders across business, sport and public life, drawing on ancient Stoic wisdom and modern case studies to explore how individuals can maintain clarity, discipline and resilience in an increasingly volatile world. Holiday’s book sales have topped 10 million copies worldwide, and the books have spent more than 200 weeks on bestseller lists, making this the perfect chance to see what the fuss is all about. Tickets are available at thinkable.events.

4) Explore the work of emerging creatives

Ton Ray, Digital image, 2026. Photo / Artist and Artspace Aotearoa

This year’s Chartwell Trust New Commissions exhibition, Group Admits Mistake, opens today at Artspace Aotearoa, featuring thought-provoking new works by emerging artists spanning painting, moving image and sculpture. Five Tāmaki Makaurau-based creatives worked with the Artspace Aotearoa team throughout the year to create new works as part of the Chartwell Trust initiative, each raising questions about authority, participation and meaning. This exhibition asks what happens when we find ourselves part of a system we cannot fully understand or control, and highlights include an artist talk, panel discussions and more.

5) Let’s get planting!

Spring Seedling Sale.

Spring is the time to start sowing summer crops, and with the cost of vegetables rising, there’s no better time to grow your own. Thankfully, Kelmarna Community Farm is hosting its annual Spring Seedling Sale today from 10am to 1pm, offering everything you need to get started. On offer will be seeds and seedlings, compost and tools, as well as an easy-to-follow growing guide, downloadable from its website, kelmarna.co.nz. Kelmarna’s gardening experts will be on hand to give advice about the right growing conditions, soil health and companion planting to keep the bugs at bay, and every seedling is grown on site so you know it’s organic and lovingly cared for. The free community event also delivers Kokako coffee, delicious food from the Lophie Project, a bake sale and live music, so bring a crew and make a morning of it!

6) It’s officially shorts season

Show Me Shorts Film Festival. Photo / Soleil Pale (Pale Sun)

On now until October 31, the Show Me Shorts Film Festival is bringing the best new cinema from Aotearoa and around the world to a theatre near you. This year, New Zealand’s top international short-film festival offers up no less than 65 new short films to enjoy, from acclaimed international work to a strong line-up of homegrown New Zealand talent. Many come directly from some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals, including Cannes, Sundance, Venice, Tribeca, Clermont-Ferrand, SXSW and Annecy. The films were selected from almost 2500 submissions, and span comedy, drama, animation, documentary, horror, science fiction, music videos and even films for tamariki. Tickets for screenings and events are now available via www.showmeshorts.co.nz.

7) Calling all vintage lovers

The Alberton Vintage Market Day.

The Alberton Vintage Market Day is on tomorrow from 11am-3pm, the hugely popular mini market promising 12 specialist stalls offering a wide range of vintage and collectable items within the beautiful historic house and in the surrounding car park. Speciality goods up for grabs include fine china, clothing, textiles, Crown Lynn, crystal, jewellery, retro knick-knacks and more, making it a must-do for collectors and fans of all things vintage. To sustain you while you shop, you can purchase coffee, gelato and homemade traditional treats, with entry to the market free and tickets to the house itself just $10 for adults (kids visit free).

8) Let’s dance

YMCĀ. Photo / Sophie Miya-Smith

Celebrating 25 years, Tempo Dance Festival | Te Rerenga o Tere is Aotearoa returns this Tuesday, bringing the best dance and body-oriented ideas from across the country and beyond to Tāmaki Makaurau. A true gathering ground for the fearless, the rebellious and the boundary-breaking, this year’s festival offers multiple activations featuring more than 160 artists across theatres, galleries, car parks, cinemas, our newest train stations, studios and streets. The programme spans contemporary and street dance, genre-bending Pasifika performance, disability-led meditations on motherhood and queer reimaginings, as well as workshops, classes, screenings and a club night. The full programme is live now at tempodancefestival.co.nz, with a top pick being Atamira Dance Company’s YMCĀ, a bold takatāpui reinterpretation of the iconic Village People anthem.

9) Take a moment to check in

Mental Health Awareness Week 2026.

This Monday is the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week 2026, running nationwide with the theme Belonging Matters. It invites schools, workplaces, and communities across Aotearoa to focus on small, everyday moments of connection that foster a genuine sense of inclusion and boost mental wellbeing, and grounded in the whakataukī Ko au ko koe, ko koe ko au – I am you, and you are me – the 2026 theme comes at a crucial time. Recent research highlights a growing challenge across Aotearoa of rising loneliness, with only 53% of Kiwis feeling their neighbourhood has a strong sense of community. Free downloadable resources and ideas for Mental Health Awareness Week are available now at mhaw.nz.

Coming up

We The Young Festival, until October 11, across AucklandJoel Archer Birth of a New Day, until October 13, Strand Arcade, AucklandThe Surprise Party, October 10-18, Pumphouse Theatre, AucklandThe Wiggles Live In Concert Tour, October 10-14, nationwideAlberton Vintage Market Day, October 11, Alberton House, AucklandNZ Opera’s The Pearl Fishers, October 14-18, Isaac Theatre Royal, ChristchurchMacy Gray Live, October 16-22, nationwideAuckland FC vs. Melbourne Victory, October 17, Go Media Stadium, AucklandStan Walker – A Symphonic Experience, October 17, The Trusts Arena, AucklandCabaret: The musical at the Kit Kat Club, until October 18, ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland Tiki Taane with the Auckland Philharmonia, October 22, Auckland Town HallA Box of Memories, October 22-25, Q Theatre, AucklandJesus Christ Superstar, October 22 to November 15, The Civic, AucklandThe Intrepid British and Irish Film Festival, October 27 to 18 November, nationwideLouis Baker – Trouble – Album Release Tour, October 29, Double Whammy, AucklandThe Rainbow Games, October 29 to November 1, AucklandElling, October 29 – November 7, Artworks Theatre, WaihekeHighwic Plant Fair, October 31, Highwic, AucklandBNZ Auckland Diwali Festival, October 31 to November 1, around central AucklandI Know You Fish, November 3-7, Basement Theatre, AucklandCorbans Estate Arts Centre Open Day, November 7, Corbans Estate Arts Centre, AucklandArt Deco Society Ball, November 17, Villa Dalmacija, AucklandAll You Had Was Fun, November 18-29, Q TheatreAn Evening With Mary Beard, November 19, Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, AucklandHarvest Hawke’s Bay Festival, November 21, Havelock NorthAuckland Horticultural Society 25th Annual Flower Show, November 28, Western Springs, AucklandLove Actually in Concert, December 14, The Civic, Auckland

Email canvasplanner@nzherald.co.nz with brief details of your upcoming event, including dates/times, location and website.