Pukekohe: Art, Market and Horse Racing

Pukekohe brings together art, community creative activities, the Pukekohe Five Summits Trail, thoroughbred racing and a regular market. This mix offers different reasons to plan a stay: you can focus on culture, exercise, horse racing or a visit to the market. When choosing when to travel, both fixed dates and the scale of an activity matter.

Art and creative activities

The Franklin Arts Centre in Pukekohe comprises two galleries and a workshop for classes, activities and events. The galleries and hands-on formats offer different emphases. Franklin also has free community activities and events throughout the year, where people of all ages and abilities can discover the creative arts and take part hands-on. Those interested in art can therefore choose between the Arts Centre galleries and community activities in Franklin. The creative offerings give a stay another focus alongside exercise and horse racing.

The Five Summits Trail as a longer excursion

The trail description, most recently updated on 25 September 2025, presents the Pukekohe Five Summits Trail as a 21-kilometre loop through central Pukekohe. It lists Pukekohe Train and Bus Station as the start and end point; information boards are located on the pedestrian bridge over the railway tracks. The trail is suitable for cycling for most of its length, and hybrid tyres are recommended for bicycles. Its loop format and length make the trail a standalone excursion rather than a short stop. If you are considering cycling, you can take the stated suitability and tyre recommendation into account when planning.

Horse racing and events at Pukekohe Park

Visitors can experience thoroughbred racing at Pukekohe Park. The TAB Counties Cup Day takes place there every November. The programme includes the Heritage race, the TAB Counties Cup, and the Group 2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes. If you want to plan your stay around this race day, check the specific event dates before travelling. Outside race days, Pukekohe Park can be used year-round as an event venue for events of various sizes. The park therefore also serves as an event venue in addition to its role in horse racing.

Franklin Market and when to visit

Franklin Market is held every Saturday morning, rain or shine, in the public car park on Massey Avenue in Pukekohe. It offers fresh produce and tasty food and treats. If you want to include these offerings in your trip, you can use Saturday morning as a fixed point when planning. The market offers a different focus from the galleries, community creative activities or horse racing.

These involve different planning considerations: the weekly schedule, a specific event date and the scope of an excursion. If you are travelling with family, you can decide together which focus should shape your stay before looking for hotels in Pukekohe.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Snells Beach, Half Moon Bay, Devonport, Newmarket, Waiuku, Silverdale, Karaka, Matakana.

For the regional travel overview: Auckland.