Christchurch has made a new home for its Christmas festivities - Latimer Square - and alongside the Telecom Christmas Tree and the world's largest(and only!) Christmas decoration made out of containers, you can join in Carols by Candlelight on Monday 24 December from 9pm - 10.15pm.
We're celebrating the reopening of many of our summer pools with a series of Summer Pool Parties at Jellie Park and Halswell Pool from Saturday 15 December through to March. If you'd like to make a different kind of splash, head to the Beach Blast at North Beach, 9.30am - 1pm on Saturday 12 January.
For the littlies, try the Science Alive Under 5 Fest from 18 - 27 March or Children's Day at South Hagley Park on Sunday 3 March. Older kids will enjoy building a raft and competing in the Heathcote River Day Raft Race on Sunday 17 March, or building whatever they please - as long as it's made out of sand - at the New Zealand Sandcastle Competition at New Brighton Beach on Saturday 2 February.
Of course, there's always the Skate Jam series. The Cheapskates Skate Skool runs a series of free community skate jams around Canterbury. These events are aimed at engaging youth into skating with free gear hire and coaching from experienced skaters. The Skate Jams begin at Jellie Park on Friday 18 January.