A community carol sing-along will be held at St Stephen’s Tamahere church from 6.30pm this Saturday.

The Cambridge Brass Band and other local performers, including ukelele players, will lead the event.

It’s a family friendly occasion, the Lions will be operating a barbecue and free parking will be available opposite the church grounds.

Tamahere’s special, annual Twilight Market is on this Saturday, December 2, 4pm, a perfect place to source NZ-made goodness for Christmas.

“We have all manner of great ideas for presents as well as food – shoppers can eat dinner at the market – and we also have a special surprise,” said market organiser Jane Manson.

She wouldn’t be drawn on the mystery but did say the Mosaic Choir would be performing in St Stephen’s Church “to kick start that Christmassy feeling.”

The second, annual NZ Dirt Jump Nationals freestyle BMX and mountain bike championships is on at the Narrows Park in early December.

The event ran for the first time last year with more than 50 competitors thrilling around 350 spectators, said organiser Al Belcher of the Airport Rd Narrows Park.

Of the three competition classes for riders from 12 years up, it is the all-age open class that attracts the best freestyle riders in New Zealand, he said.

NZTA advises motorists of night-time detours on the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway over the next few weeks while maintenance is carried out.

The 6pm to 6am closures are scheduled from Sunday to Thursday nights, November 26 to 30, and again from December 3 to 7.

Contractors will be working on the bridge rails at the Cambridge Rd, Peake Rd, Swayne Rd and Thornton Rd overbridges.

The Tamahere Market this Saturday heralds a busy season of markets and events as the count down to Christmas begins.

Among the usual wide and varied offering from stallholders this month will be orchid plants, magnesium products, vegetarian Indian food, quail eggs and hummus.

As always the market is a great place to get New Zealand-made gifts and there will be several more opportunities to do so as well as get in the Christmas spirit in coming weeks.

Exactly one month out from Christmas Day, Tamahere will be host to a self-proclaimed “Best Christmas Market”.

There will be only way to test the claim – get along to the Tamahere Community Centre on Saturday, November 25 between 10am and 2pm.

Around 40 stallholders will be vying to solve Christmas gift ideas, mostly mums with small businesses who will be showcasing and selling their artisan goods.

Tamahere’s Inspirit Gallery will celebrate 10 years of showcasing great New Zealand art and design in the Waikato during November.

In a special 10th Anniversary Exhibition from November 12, 10 artists who’ve each made a significant contribution to Inspirit will reflect on its development as a destination gallery over the last decade.

Ten years ago, photographer Jenny Scown, the owner and director of Inspirit Gallery, had a bold dream to build a spacious contemporary art gallery in her Tamahere backyard.

Halloween trick or treaters will be out and about in Tamahere again this Halloween, Tuesday, October 31.

If you are happy to take part in Halloween you can show it with this pumpkin sign.

Not everyone wants to take part in the occasion so a few years ago Newell Rd resident Angie Millar hit on the idea of those happy to take part displaying the sign pictured.

Tamahere Lions’ fundraising gets into high gear during November with events supporting diabetes awareness and paralympians.

During the month, Lions worldwide are joining together to combat diabetes and the Tamahere group will do that with knowledgeable speaker, Justina Wu, a clinical Director for the Diabetes Services in Hamilton.

Wu’s address on the education, management and research of diabetes will take place at Inspirit Gallery, 380 Pencarrow Rd on Thursday, November 16 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

The Labour weekend Tamahere Market will be right on cue with plants for those gardens that are now demanding our attention.

Heirloom tomato plants, dahlia tubers and calla lilies will be just some of the vegetation ready for planting.

While we’re waiting for the bounty of our gardens, though, Saturday’s market will also be stocked with a large range of new season vegetables.