First Thursdays: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

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.

The first First Thursdays for 2017 will take place on July 6 under the banner of The Mad Hatter's Tea Party. A giant tea party will lead the festivities in the guts of real-life rabbit warren, St Kevins Arcade.

Further, second line jazz band Auckland City Scoundrels will parade the streets with some dirty New Orleans vibes; the Twice as Nice markets will see stallholders hawk vintage and craft wares; the new Cross Street Market will make its debut as an underground nest egg of weird and wonderful surprises; Nocturnal's art installation portals will be hidden around the area to transport you to another dimension; the ribbon will be cut on new overbridge art installation Don't Dream It's Over by Janet Lilo; and there will be dancing cats, a zine fair, performance art, and more still to be announced.

For those who can't make the July street party, another will be held on December 7, 2017.