Voting in the Fourth Annual Wellingtonista Awards is open from December 1-15. Then come find out the results at our Awards Night at Mighty Mighty on December 17!

To vote, visit this page.

There are things that happen in Wellington that make us break out the big thick permanent markers to circle those dates on the calendar, and these are the pick of those events.

World of WearableArt: Some people go to WOW for the range of visually stunning wearable art creations, others go to be thrilled by the amazing stagecraft in the show. Either way, WOW is a key event on Wellington’s creative calendar. It’s not just for the 40,000 people who get tickets to the show at TSB Arena either – parades and exhibitions of previous winners make the art more accessible to all of Wellington, and restaurants step up to the challenge of making edible art as well.

Sevens: Say what you like (and believe me, we do) about this booze-soaked festival of conformist wackiness, it may be the closest that Wellingtonians get to the truly unbridled spirit of Carnevale. Even if you’re not a fan of rugby, Borat and slutty nurses, you can’t deny that it’s the biggest party in town.

cuba street carnivalCuba Carnival: Cuba Street is often considered to be Wellington’s most colourful street, so when it throws a carnival every two years, you know it’s going to be amazing. 2009 gave us bands, markets, food on sticks, carnival rides, drummers and a night parade – pretty much something for everyone. It is a beautiful thing to watch the streets come alive.  

All Whites’ World Cup Qualifier: With the Phoenix Yellow Fever supporters transforming themselves into White Noise and scores of football supporters donning white gear, the scene was set for a remarkable sporting event. The All Whites did the hard work, earning a historic victory that’ll take them to the World Cup, but the fired-up crowd at Westpac Arena were an audience that only Wellington could provide.

Red HarbourPelorous Trust Fireworks: Sure, we can only buy fireworks ourselves for three days a year now, and we can’t buy rockets or double happys or any of the fun stuff because of idiots, so it’s good to know that we can still get our bang on for free on November 5. Town fills up with people, you can see the bangs from as far as Newtown or Ngaio (and probably beyond, but that’s as far as we venture) and the show lights up the sky for free. Lovely.