New Zealand Cup and Show Week and Canterbury Anniversary
New Zealand Cup and Show Week 5 - 12 November 2011
Show Day is Friday 11 November 2011
Every year during the middle of November, Canterbury celebrates the province’s anniversary holiday with New Zealand Cup and Show Week. This page lists the traditional activities that take place at this time of the year.
Cup Week
First on the schedule is Cup Week, with exciting events for those into racing and fashion. Horse racing, both gallops and harness racing, are the main events. The Cups raced for are the New Zealand Trotting Cup raced at Addington Raceway, and the New Zealand Galloping Cup, raced at Riccarton Park Raceway.
Christchurch shops feature race-going fashion for weeks before-hand and hats and hair attachments are always popular. There are local fashion shows and displays.
The A & P Show
After Cup Week, the country comes to town at the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association Show. The annual agricultural show has been held every year since 1862. In 1997, the Show moved to a new permanent home at the 100-hectare Canterbury Agricultural Park, New Zealand’s first purpose-built Show facility.
In 2006, the Show was recognised as one of New Zealand’s premier agricultural events by being chosen to host the Royal New Zealand Show. This continued until 2009.
Anniversary Day
Christchurch Show Day is also a public holiday in Canterbury, celebrating the region’s official anniversary. The public holiday was originally held on or around 16 December, the anniversary day of the old Canterbury province marking the arrival of the First Four Ships. It was moved to the Friday of Show Week sometime between 1955 and 1958. The Friday had been People’s Day at the Show for years, but the change offered the additional bonus of an official holiday for banks and businesses.
The definition used by Christchurch City Council to determine the date of Canterbury Anniversary Day each year is “second Friday after the first Tuesday of November (i.e. Show Day will be two weeks after the first Tuesday in November - on a Friday, mainly so that it does not clash with the Melbourne Cup Racing Carnival)”.
Northern and Central Canterbury areas also observe Christchurch Show Day. South Canterbury observes Dominion Day, the fourth Monday in September. All other regions in New Zealand have their own Anniversary Day public holidays.
