Slide into summer

With the school holidays getting under way it's time to hit the pool and get in a festive mood with some Christmas music.

Winter wonderland in the Square

Grab your family and friends and head along to the Christmas edition of the Friday street food markets from 11am until 9pm today. There will be international street food vendors, arts and craft stalls, live bands and all-day Christmas songs. Santa will be dropping in at 6pm. Admission is free.

City Sounds

Check out some free live music in your lunchbreak today, join Retrosonic for classic and current rock hits at Evolution Square on Tuam Street from 12pm until 1.30pm. City Sounds is a SummerTimes event where local bands, buskers perform live at various locations in the city every Friday in December and January. In February and March a brass band will perform on Sundays in the Botanic Gardens as well as the city shows on Fridays. 

Carols in the Park

This yearly community singing evening is at the Doris Lusk Reserve, on the Cnr of Worcester St and Stanmore Rd, from 7pm tonight. Bring a picnic rug and check out the Linwood Village Night Market next door which opens at 6pm. 

Jellie Park is hosting a School's Out pool party on Saturday.

Pool party at Jellie Park

The weather is looking perfect for a weekend swim so celebrate the start of the school holidays with a School's Out pool party at Jellie Park Recreation and Sport Centre from midday until 3pm on Saturday. Hosted by the Christchurch City Council and More FM, there will be pool games, hot dogs and a lolly scramble. Standard pool entry fees apply. 

See some Christmas sparkle

The Christchurch Christmas Lightshow is at 650 Shands Rd tonight and this weekend from 8.30pm until midnight. It costs $5 and features over 400,000 lights synchronised to music. There are animated characters, large inflatables and animated carnival rides for a unique visual extravaganza. For more information see the website.

Christmas Joy

Join Christchurch singer Ali Harper for a night of festive music at The Piano: Centre for Music and the Arts, tonight at 7.30pm and 2.30pm on Saturday. Ali's guests are the Voices Co Youth Ensemble with Julian Hay (winners of TVNZ's Naked Choir).

Sol3 Mio concert 

The Sol3 Mio Christmas and Summer Tour arrives in Christchurch this weekend with a Christmas in the City concert in North Hagley Park from 5pm on Saturday. The trio will perform their signature mix of opera arias, traditional songs, a selection of hits from their albums and, of course, some Christmas carols. It will be their first time performing in Hagley Park.