This weekend, Botany Town Centre is a hive of activity featuring a fundraising Fijian choir and rock band, student entrepreneurs, and the celebration of two significant days – World Fair Trade Day, with ‘big bang’ drum sets open to the public, and World Falun Dafa Day, which will be recognized with vibrant dancing, music and exercise demonstrations.

The fun starts on the afternoon of Thursday 7 May, with the Business Enterprise Market Day. This will be held in Market Square, outside New World, from 5pm to 8pm. As part of the Business Enterprise Programme, geared to give students practical experience in the business world, student groups formulate an idea to build on and create a product to sell. More than 150 students from three colleges - Pakuranga, Howick and Botany Downs Secondary – will be selling products to the public and will be judged on categories ranging from the best product idea to the most ingenious marketing strategies.

Then, on Friday 8 May, the impressive, 65-member Lelean Memorial School Choir from Fiji will be performing on the main stage in Town Square from 6.30pm. Lelean Memorial School, the Fijian sister school of Botany Downs Secondary College, is on a two-week tour and will move on to Hamilton and Wellington after the Botany performance, which will serve as a school fundraiser.

From choir to rock, the free performance of New Zealand band Autozamm on Saturday 9 May at 1pm is expected to be a fan-pleaser. The show is part of the Busking Challenge being filmed by C4’s Jono’s New Show at Botany Town Centre over the coming weeks. The band will play for 15 minutes, in the Town Square in front of the main fountain, to see how much cash they can raise for their the Asthma Foundation. Shoppers can show their support for Autozamm and help them beat Jason Kerrison who is currently winning the busking challenge with $305 raised!

Also on Saturday is Trade Aid - A Day of Drumming, celebrating World Fair Trade Day. Visitors to the centre are invited by Trade Aid Botany to beat the drums at Botany Library and outside New World as part of a global ‘Big Bang’ festival commemorating Fair Trade Fortnight internationally. A fun, interactive event for families (and budding musicians), the drums are open for banging throughout trading hours on Saturday, with a 15% discount on all drums from Trade Aid Botany.

The weekend rounds off with World Falun Dafa Day Celebration on Sunday 10 May, held in Town Square from midday and featuring dance, music and exercise demonstrations on the main stage.
 

Further details are available at www.botanytowncentre.co.nz.
 

About Botany Town Centre
Situated approximately 19km southeast of Auckland, Botany Town Centre is one of New Zealand’s largest retail developments, with 169 specialty stores. Its retailers range from Dick Smith Electronics to Rebel Sports and a full complement of banks, fashion stores, and New Zealand’s most popular café and restaurant chains. The centre includes one of Auckland’s largest Farmers stores and a New World supermarket. The centre provides diverse entertainment choices from the Circle Lounge at Berkeley Cinema to the award-winning Cock and Bull pub. In addition to its retail offering, Botany Town Centre is a community hub for other services including the Botany Library, the Community Constable, and a variety of medical and health providers. In March 2009 Botany Town Centre became a Smoke-free shopping centre.