First Thursdays: Night at the Circus

Overview

First Thursdays is a community conscious collaboration that aims to connect people through ideas, art and music. Following its humble beginnings in 2009, the free all-ages event now attracts around 7,000 people to K' Road. Twice yearly, the length of the uptown strip comes alive with DJs, bands, public art exhibitions and performances out on the street, alongside business activations, vintage markets, and the flamboyance you'd expect from the city's most colourful district.

Following a Mad Hatter's Tea Party in July, the second First Thursdays for 2017 will take place on December 7. The event will be themed around a night at the circus, where devious clowns, jugglers, fire dancers, musicians, fortune tellers will take over K' Road and the surrounding areas.

Cross Street Market will be back for its second outing so you can tick off some Christmas shopping along the way; the west (Ponsonby) end of the strip will feature stilt walkers and fire dancers between the high-end fashion stores; Monster Valley will transform St Kevin's Arcade to feature sex fortune telling and carnival games; middle K' Road will be the place to pick up a free lion costume for your well-behaved animal; Beresford Square will come to life with live music curated by Flying Out Records; and Inky Palms will present an exhibition of local artists, including a collaboration involving live glass-drawing robots.

K' Road businesses will also be keeping their doors open later than usual for after-hours sales, deals, games and more.

Image: First Thursdays, K' Road Business Association