People were "having a great time" at the lantern-making workshops, Dunedin Midwinter Celebration Trust chairman Paul Smith said.
"People were very happy making their star lanterns and looking forward to taking them home," Mr Smith said.
"It’s a great family activity."
These workshops continue on both days of the weekend, but bookings are filling fast.
Midwinter Lights replaces the annual Midwinter Carnival which was cancelled this year because of Covid-19.
Meridian Mall also features some of the carnival’s giant lanterns, hanging throughout the space to create a winter atmosphere.
More information about the lantern-making workshops is available online at www.midwintercarnival.co.nz.
This year's programme also features a free projection event in the Octagon on Saturday from 5.30pm-9pm.
The free projection showcases the Midwinter Carnival event "through the years", and may be the first large projection ever on the Dunedin City Council’s Municipal Chambers.
"We're really excited to see how the projection turns out as this is uncharted waters for us," Mr Smith said.
"We've brought in some big projectors from out of town so we are expecting it to be awesome," he said.
