And last night, as thousands converged in downtown Queenstown, vying for a viewing spot in Earnslaw Park or along Beach St, it was clear some people were wishing they had pulled on their thermal underwear or otherwise heeded the advice of locals telling them to dress warmly .
Clear skies and barely a breath of wind sent temperatures plummeting. However, the cold did not seem to dampen the spirits of the huge crowd, which took in the community Mardi Gras parade before dancing into the small hours of this morning.
Beginning just on dark, this year's parade, featuring members of the community who had taken part in mask-making workshops earlier in the week, weaved its way from the War Memorial on Marine Pde to Earnslaw Park and the waiting throng.
Brazil Beat Sound System and Rhythm Interactive, which has also been holding workshops during the week, took to the stage as lead-ins to the main entertainment of the night, Zubric, a Wellington-based covers band.
Then the Lindauer Top Blokes - a competition now in its 18th year - took to the stage to the delight of the ladies in the crowd, before Zubric kept the party going into the night.
Meanwhile, on Beach St, Wakatipu High School pupils showed their many talents, with eight of the school's bands taking to the stage.
A special treat came in the form of OpShop's Jason Kerrison who, as the bands' mentor, performed an acoustic set.
Earlier, the Memorial Hall was packed out during the MacTodd seniors complimentary mid-winter luncheon, where the district's older residents were treated to a hearty meal while being entertained by pupils from Queenstown Primary School's music group and 50-strong choir.
At The Millennium, 12 Queenstown women, who for the past three months have been hitting the gym as part of a 12-week challenge, took centre stage on the catwalk.
All of the women applied to be part of the challenge and have been working out with a personal trainer twice a week for the past three months, receiving nutrition advice and undergoing life-changing transformations.
Yesterday, the women sashayed down the catwalk to the delight of the sold-out crowd, many of who were family and friends of the participants.
• Winter Festival programme
Today
TBC: Blast from the Past, venue TBC, free.
Noon: Millbrook and Brown, Millbrook Resort, $119; H&J Smith Parade, undie 500 & fancy dress parapenting, Earnslaw Park, free.
6pm: FAV family arts and variety concert, Memorial Hall, preschoolers free, students $10, adults $20.
8pm: Te Radar presents Eating the Dog, Millennium Hotel, $30.
Tomorrow
Noon: De Lorenzo day at the races, Memorial Hall, $30 per person, $25 per person for tables of 10 or more.
12.30pm: Speight's dog derby, Coronet Peak, free.
4pm: Speight's dog barking, Village Green, free.
6pm: Star Ship Skyline murder mystery, Skyline Gondola, $70 per person.
9pm: Live entertainment featuring Brett Strachan, SkyCity Queenstown Casino, free.
Friday, July 3
4pm: More FM wild about water pool party, Alpine Aqualand, $6.
6pm: 18th Lindauer top blokes ladies cocktail evening, Memorial Hall, $30 per person.
7.15pm: Ice hockey: Southern Stampede v Auckland Admirals, Queenstown Fun Centre, $10-$20 per person.
7.30pm: Mountain Safety Council avalanche awareness seminar, Crowne Plaza, free.
9pm: Live entertainment, featuring Little Green Men, SkyCity Queenstown Casino, free.
