Uptown and the Link Alliance celebrate community and spring, announcing “Branch Out Festival”
for Saturday October 7, 2023

FREE STREET FESTIVAL // 9AM - 1PM
NIKAU STREET, UPTOWN

The Link Alliance and Uptown Business Association have teamed up once more to present “Branch Out Festival”; a free community event celebrating spring, the arts, local businesses and the vibrant city neighbourhood on the rise of Uptown, which will be home to the newly developed Maungawhau Station.

Just down from the top of Mt Eden Road, between The Corner Store and Al Volo Pizza, lies Nikau Street, which will be transformed from 9am - 1pm on Saturday October 7 into a street festival with markets, live music, food, fashion, crafts for kids and lots more.

Among the local businesses at Branch Out Festival will be Goodlids, Floralcentric, Isle of Eden, Sabato, twiice, Al Volo Pizza, Mibo, Goatloft, Hard To Find Books, House of Knives, Ratbags Store, Ziggle, Twenty Three Cafe, For The Love Of Bees, the Studio Art Collective and more. A mixture of demonstrations, tastings, activities, workshops, and products for sale will be on offer from each of the Uptown businesses at the festival; there’ll be lots to get involved with!

Set up near the end of Nikau Street, overlooking the impressive CRL development of the new Maungawhau Railway Station will be the main stage, featuring performances from local talents including Starjam, Flip n Fly Circus School, Eliette’s Music Academy, and the Dalmatian Cultural Society.

Keep up to date with announcements and the performance schedule HERE

Uptown is a vibrant, innovative and attractive urban place, and will be transformed in the next three years with the new and developed train station. Link Alliance Development and Response Manager Piet Ubels says they are looking forward to highlighting some of the amazing businesses, services and local talents surrounding the future Maungawhau Station, on a street overlooking the development.

“Branch Out Festival is a great opportunity to celebrate on a street that will become transformed by Maungawhau Station,” says Piet. “Nikau Street is set to become a significant pedestrian thoroughfare between the station and central Uptown, and we’re proud to be working with the Uptown Business Association again to create an opportunity for the neighbourhood - and the wider Auckland region - to come together and discover what’s here.”

This year will be the second Branch Out Festival to take place, following the successful community event run in 2022 which brought over 1000 people out into the Normanby Road area to celebrate spring together.
 
“Uptown is a place of discovery, creativity, diversity and inclusion,” says Uptown Business Association Event Coordinator, Rachel Hamilton. “There are so many passionate, talented and welcoming locals living and running businesses here. Last year was so much fun, and we can’t wait to showcase the vibe of the precinct once again; helping people to “branch out” and discover something new.”

View highlights from last year’s festival HERE

Lock in the date for this year’s Branch Out Festival - Saturday 7 October 2023 - and keep an eye on the Facebook event page for more updates and timetables to get excited about. This is a festival you don’t want to miss!