Labour Day became a holiday in 1900, and here are some of the quirky ways that Kiwis will mark Parnell’s rebellion in 2026.
Northland
Toast on the Coast is one more reason – as if you needed one – to head to gorgeous Tutukākā. The adult-focused outdoor festival celebrates the region’s craft beer, wine and food matched with live music, kicking off at Tutukākā Marina from 1pm on Saturday October 24 (tickets required).
A few miles south, Waipu parades its Slow Fashion Market (Coronation Hall, Sunday October 25, from 9am), a free sustainable fashion and thrifting event featuring around 25 stalls alongside the local street market.
Auckland
Auckland tends to empty out on Labour Weekend, with those who can afford the gas heading to the beaches for the first long break of the summer. If you’re staying in town, St Heliers Art & Craft Market graces the seaside suburb’s wonderfully named Vellenoweth Green (Monday, October 26 from 10am) with about 200 stalls featuring arts, crafts, designer fashion and food options.
Bay of Plenty
Waihī Beach. Photo / Bay of Plenty
One of those coastal destinations that Aucklanders descend on is Waihī Beach, which greets visitors with a pop-up market day (Saturday, 10am-2pm, Waihī Beach Community Centre). We suggest strolling through stalls offering shopping, bites and cold beverages before heading to the water. On Sunday, Waihī’s more uplifting Holistic Wellbeing Expo (10am-3pm, Community Centre) promises a dedicated day for mind, body and spirit featuring natural health products, rongoā, crystals, jewellery, healers, readers and food vendors. Both are free.
Arts festivals have been a feature across the Bay of Plenty since 1998, and the 11-day Tauranga Arts Festival takes advantage of the long weekend to present events in the CBD and Mount Maunganui on Saturday and Sunday. Look out for live performances and waterfront music showcases like Spiral Out Tool Tribute (Saturday, Totara St, the Mount) and Elektrophoria (Sunday, Tauranga waterfront).
The Tauranga Arts Festival. Photo / Supplied.
Gisborne
The beats go on in Gisborne, with Sunday Smash (Sunday from 4pm, $20) at Smash Palace, the venue’s traditional Labour Weekend indoor nighttime afterparty featuring local musicians and DJs like Tyna and Brazilbeat.
Hawke’s Bay
Celebrations will be slightly more sedate in Waipukurau, where the Central Hawke’s Bay community marks the start of summer with Feast in the Forest, a communal long lunch featuring locally sourced shared plates beneath historic trees at the Woburn Homestead (Saturday, from noon, booking required).
Christchurch and Canterbury
Heritage festival. Photo / Supplied
In Christchurch, honour the province’s past at the Heritage Festival or enjoy the sounds of the Big Band Jazz Festival, both running across the long weekend. The heritage festival, which began on October 16 and concludes Monday, October 26, stretches across the city to Banks Peninsula with the theme of “Building Place-Connections,” highlighting infrastructure and communications through walks, exhibitions and family activities. Most events are free.
On Monday 26, Rangiora Racecourse hosts the Christchurch Country Festival (11am-4pm, tickets $12, under 16 free). Formerly the Culverden Christmas Country Fete, this spring market features boutique shopping, local craft, artisan food – of which North Canterbury has much more than its fair share – and live entertainment.
Queenstown
If you find yourself in or around Queenstown, you could do worse than head a few clicks east and join in the Cromwell Street Party (Sunday from 3pm), a free, family-friendly community celebration with food stalls, live entertainment and fireworks.
Countrywide: Diwali
Diwali in Auckland. Photo / James Mack
Up, down and across the motu, hundreds of thousands of Indian and Indian-adjacent New Zealanders are preparing for the biggest nights of their year – Diwali, AKA the Festival of Lights. While it’ll be marked at different times in different places, Wellington, Christchurch, Hawke’s Bay and North Shore are among the communities that have chosen Labour Weekend (Auckland’s massive celebrations take place on Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1).
Wellington’s Diwali centres on the TSB Arena on Sunday from 2pm with continuous cultural performances in Bollywood, Bhangra and traditional style, vegetarian food, craft stalls, henna painting and fireworks.
In Christchurch, head for QEII Park on Sunday (2-10pm) for stage performances, rides, food and trade stalls and fireworks; in Hawke’s Bay it’s Mitre 10 Sports Park, Hastings (Sunday, 4-9pm) and Smales Farm, Takapuna (Saturday, noon-9pm).
Shout-out: these events are free and everyone’s welcome. It’s a great opportunity to meet and mingle with one of our most vibrant communities.
And this Aucklander?
Me? I’m planning a truly Kiwi way of marking Labour Weekend, a tradition that’s been honoured since 1900 or earlier – planting tomatoes so they’re ready in time for Christmas.
Plan now for Labour Weekend, running from October 24-26, 2026.