Winter in Cromwell is set to get brighter with news Light Up Winter is expanding.
In its sixth year, the free community event — which last year attracted about 6000 people — is moving out of the Cromwell Mall and increasing from two nights to a week-long celebration.
The event would be held across the road from the mall at the Big Fruit Reserve and car park.
Many of the event’s core activities are returning — food trucks, Flame entertainment, bands and the popular lantern release — with new additions also in the works including a thieves-alley style night market, an interactive light display from Otago Museum and corporate tents.
Throughout the week an outdoor ice-skating rink would be set up at the reserve, with a children’s disco and midweek curling planned.
Marquees would be in place to weatherproof the event and the ice-skating rink.
Cromwell & Districts Promotions Group community relationships manager Kelly Cruickshank-Giles said the combination of increasing numbers of visitors attending the event and the need to control entry and exit points under ever-changing Covid-19 restrictions were behind the changes.
"The mall has so many access points and to meet Covid regulations we’ve had to move it where we can control the entry point," she said.
"We are still going to have the main stage with local bands and all those staples that people have come to love about Light Up Winter."
Organisers were mindful the Cromwell Mall had been home to Light Up Winter for the past five years, the original purpose being to the attract people to the town’s centre, marketing and communications manager Marion Low said.
A "Shop & Win" promotion was planned in the lead-up to Light Up Winter to continue to support businesses based in the mall, she said.
Sponsorship opportunities were available for businesses wanting to be involved, including the naming sponsor and for the ice-skating rink.
Light Up Winter runs from July 8-15. The main event is on July 9.
The event is free. However, there will be a charge for lanterns and ice-skating.
