Friday Five: Fab ways to celebrate Pride in Pōneke

1. Pride Youth Ball 

SATURDAY 11 MARCH | 6PM | SHED 6

Wellington Pride Festival presents the 2023 Youth Ball – a safe event celebrating diversity in queer identities, put on by 2023 board members and amazing volunteers. The theme is  'ICONIQUE –  past, present and future' – inspired by Wellington Pride Festival’s overall theme 'Ka Mua Ka Muri'. Ka Mua, Ka Muri speaks to looking at the past, to understand the present, and inform the future. 

Wellington rangatahi are undeniably iconic and unique, so show up as your ICONIQUE self! Get creative and celebrate your identity in a safe and supportive atmosphere. Wear something that represents your ICONIQUE self. Be unapologetically you. The ball will feature amazing Drag performers, a low stimulation space, goodie bags, spot prizes, delicious vegan food and so much more!

Book your spot on Ticketmaster. 

2. Pride on wheels

FRIDAY 10 MARCH | 6.30PM | KILBIRNIE RECREATION CENTRE

Get down to Kilbirne Recreation Centre for a night of DJs, lights, costumes and skates!

Celebrate your pride and our fab rainbow community by being a mess on wheels! Skate rentals will be available and a dance area for non-skaters too! Please note this is an age 16+ event only. Make sure you bring a water bottle! 

Get your ticket on EventFinda.

3. Rainbow Youth Night

SATURDAY 11 MARCH | 5PM-8PM | KARORI LIBRARY

Join us at Karori Library for an only-slightly-more-than-usual rainbow-themed Youth Night! 

The library will be open after-hours for rainbow and takatāpui youth (and friends) to socialise, have fun, and chat to a librarian about your favourite queer literature. There will be pizza, gaming, movies, crafts, and quiet spaces to chill out.

Youth Nights are totally free (pizza included) but you do need to be 14+ in order to come, so please come prepared to show your student ID. Once you’re in, our spaces are yours! Nau mai rā tātou katoa - everybody is welcome. No booking required.

4. Zoo Pride

SATURDAY 11 & SUNDAY 12 MARCH | 9.30AM-5PM | WELLINGTON ZOO

Wellington Zoo is hosting its very first Zoo Pride event! This will be a family-friendly weekend of fun for our rainbow communities and wider allies, with the theme of celebrating the diversity of the living world – across both animals and people! 

There’ll be an array of rainbow-themed food and drinks on offer, and some extra special performers helping out at the daily animal talks.

Find out more on the Wellington Zoo website. 

5. Coffee and kōrero with parents of transgender and non-binary kids and teens

SUNDAY 12 MARCH | 2PM-3PM | TE POKAPŪ HAPORI

Are you new to parenting a transgender or non-binary child? Come have a coffee and a kōrero with fellow parents of transgender and non-binary kids and teens at Te Pokapū Hapori . 

Hosted by Wellington-based members of the national group New Zealand Parents and Guardians of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children, this is an opportunity to meet other parents who are encountering similar challenges and joys as you are in raising your transgender or non-binary child. The facilitators will talk about some common parent experiences and attendees will have an opportunity to share their own experiences, ask questions, and seek advice.

There's plenty of other Pride events as part of the Wellington Pride Festival 2023, so check out the programme to find out what else is happening.

Watch out each Friday for a fun list of five awesome activities to do, places to explore, or things to discover in our great city.