Neighbours Day Aotearoa is coming up – and everyone is invited.

This nationwide event running from 22-31 March aims to bring people together to build great neighbourhoods, whether you live in a high rise apartment, a house in the suburbs, a boat on a marina, or a tiny home on the outskirts of the city.

The Council is a proud supporter of the event through funding and providing resources, helping create strong and connected communities for the future resilience of the capital, says Mayor Justin Lester.

“Events like Neighbours Day Aotearoa help turn strangers into neighbours, and neighbourhoods into communities. Making streets safer and communities more resilient are top priorities for us.

“Also, in the case of an emergency, our neighbours are often the first ones we need to turn to,” adds the Mayor.

There are events happening all over the city, including shared meals, games nights, working bees, and the always popular Mount Victoria Treasure Hunt.

This year we’re also supporting a ‘pay it forward’ element to Neighbours Day with numerous cafes taking part around the city, says Social Development portfolio lead, Councillor Brian Dawson.

“The idea of ‘pay it forward’ coffees reflect the philosophy of Neighbours Day by encouraging people to spark up a conversation, share a smile, or just enjoy giving or receiving a small act of kindness.”

Local Food Week coincides with Neighbours Day Aotearoa this year, as what better way to connect with your neighbours than around food.

Wellington has a large community that produces food locally, organisations that support these groups and food sustainability, plus a growing public demand for locally produced food – and this annual event highlights that.

There are many events happening around the city celebrating Local Food Week. Enjoy a Good Food Tasting with local producers of artisan food at Sustainability Trust, share with your neighbours at a Local Food Week swap in Newtown, or go behind the scenes at Kaibosh.

Kaibosh General Manager Matt Dagger is a big supporter of the event.

“Local Food Week offers Wellingtonians the opportunity to experience many of the exciting initiatives around food that are happening in their own backyards – some of which they may not even be aware of.

“For the team here at Kaibosh, this is a great opportunity to share our work with the wider public whose support is so important to the social and environmental outcomes that we are able to achieve.”

Find out more about the events at wellington.govt.nz/neighboursday and wellington.govt.nz/localfoodweek.

© Scoop Media