Fire dancers, fairy lights and floating lanterns captivated Cromwell at the Light Up Winter festival on Saturday night.
Cromwell Promotions manager Tanya Dennis said more than 5000 people attended the event. Visitors came from the West Coast, Dunedin and Queenstown. Visitors from Taupo had also booked their ski trip to Queenstown to coincide with it, she said.
Holding the event in the Anderson Park Rose Garden, while not without challenges, was a great success. The Central Otago District Council helped get it over the line.
Sponsors were crucial to any event and the team at Aotea Daiken and BDL Electrical had gone above and beyond, literally getting their hands dirty to ensure the park was a magical space, she said.
"They got stuck in, not just financially, but also rolling up their sleeves and in the trenches."
A "light up your hat" competition was hugely popular.
Flame Entertainment danced, skipped and swallowed fire. Thomas the Tank Engine was there, courtesy of the Cromwell Lions Club, and a huge array of international food was available from the food trucks, with mulled wine on offer too.Event co-ordinator Anthea Lawrence said it was an exciting opportunity for young musicians from 45South, Mistep and ReSounding to perform.
The lantern launch at the end of the evening had the whole town gazing skyward as hundreds of glowing orbs drifted upward.
Mrs Dennis said some people inscribed their lanterns with the name of a lost one or with wishes and prayers, making it an emotional event as well as a visual one.
The group had worked closely with Fenz and the Central Otago District Council to make the event safe for everyone.
The 700 lanterns were flame resistant, environmentally friendly and contained no wires that could be dangerous to wildlife, Mrs Dennis said.
Shifting the event to the rose garden had allowed greater creativity and it was a wonderful way to use the park, she said.
