Brace yourself for a busy, fun-filled weekend

With oodles of events on this weekend, it will be easy to keep the kids entertained over the last days of the school holidays.

Tūranga opening weekend

Christchurch's new library, Tūranga, has opened so make sure you head into the central city this weekend and check it out. On Saturday The Breeze and More FM will at the library with special activities, give-aways and music and at 3pm award-winning author Gareth Ward will present a talk in the TSB Space about his life as a storyteller, magician, hypnotist, Royal Marine commando and policy officer.

Throughout the weekend you will be able to take a special walk-through tour of all five floors of the library, sampling some of the high-tech services along the way, including virtual reality experiences, 3D printers and the Discovery Wall. The tour will take about 45 minutes but you can do a shorter 15 minute tour covering just the ground and first floors.

Find out more and get travel information.

Ride the steam train for free during Rewind at Ferrymead.

Rewind at Ferrymead

Step back in time on Sunday at Rewind at Ferrymead. This event at the Ferrymead Heritage Park is part of Beca Heritage Week and will be heaps of fun for the whole family.  Come along and enjoy live music, free tram and steam train rides, food trucks, craft stalls and screenings of old cinema footage.

Christchurch artist Joel Hart will be at the park creating a live artwork in honour of the 125th anniversary of New Zealand women gaining the right to vote. There will be other activities and workshops to mark the 100th anniversary of end of World War 1. 

There is no admission charge for Rewind at Ferrymead but a gold coin donation is requested. A free bus will be running from the city to Ferrymead Heritage Park between 9.30am and 3.45pm.

NZ Bike Expo

Whether you're new to cycling or a serious cycling aficionado, you'll want to make your way this weekend to the New Zealand Bike Expo. The expo, which is being held at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, is where community groups and businesses come together under one roof to celebrate all things cycling. You can try out bikes of all kinds, find out about clubs you can join, get advice from experts, and test your cycling skills.

The expo is on from 10am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday and admission is $10 adults and $5 for children aged 11 to 17 years. Children 11 and under are admitted for free.

The New Zealand Bike Expo is part of Biketober.

What size fish can you catch?

Take a kid fishing

Head to The Groynes on Sunday for the free Take a Kid Fishing event.  The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust has generously donated hundreds of young salmon to be released into the lakes at the Groynes, along with a small number of large trout, so bring the kids along and see what they can catch.

The morning session, which runs from 9am to 1pm, is set aside for children under 12, with one lake especially set aside for the under-eights. Expert anglers will be on hand to teach the kids how to fish and some loan rods and artificial bait will be provided.

In the afternoon, kids of all ages can fish the lakes but they will need their own equipment and bait. There will be food trucks on site throughout the day.

Breeze Walking Festival

If you want to stretch your legs this weekend, then join one of The Breeze Walking Festival walks. This weekend's walks include:

• Places for People - a guided walk around the Crown-led anchor projects in the central city
• Three Generation Walk at Travis Wetlands - get the grandparents and the grandkids and enjoy a lovely walk around the Travis Wetland loopway walk
• Lyttelton Antarctic Heritage Walk - this walk explores Lyttelton's rich Antarctic history.
• Red zone trek Richmond and Avonside - a guided walk with the Avon Otakaro Network and the Avebury House Community Trust through the Richmond and Avonside red zone. 

Canterbury Home Show 

If you're thinking of renovating your home or building a new one, then make sure you head along to the Canterbury Home Show this weekend.  More than 140 exhibitors will be at Horncastle Arena showcasing the latest products, services and trends in renovations, building, furnishings, home improvements and outdoor living. The show begins today and runs throughout the weekend from 10am to 5pm. Door sale are $8 for adults, with no admission charge for children. 

Brass band concert

Come along an enjoy an afternoon of entertainment by some of New Zealand's best young musicians. The New Zealand Secondary Schools' Brass Band is performing on Saturday at 3pm at The Piano. The band is made up of 44 young musicians from 29 secondary schools across New Zealand and includes nine musicians from Canterbury. Tickets for the concert are $10, with children under 10 admitted for free.

Christchurch Bonsai Society 50th Anniversary Show

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Christchurch Bonsai Society is holding a show of some of the best bonsai in the South Island. Some of the trees that will be don display are more than 50 years old and have been cared for and trained by more than one generation of enthusiasts. The show is being held at the Redwood Convention Centre, 340 Main North Road, from 9am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.