Thea (7, front) and Riley (9) Dickey take in some of the music on offer at Light Up Winter in Cromwell on Saturday. PHOTO: JARED MORGAN
Organised by the Cromwell Districts Promotion Group, the evening’s celebrations began at 4.30pm with magician Jonathan Usher’s performance in the mall. It was followed by a mass lantern release at the Big Fruit Reserve at 6pm.
Food was on offer as well as mulled wine to keep the cold at bay, which proved popular.
Cromwell community relationships manager Gretchen Nightingale said this year’s event had cast a wider net.
Of the 3500-4000 people who attended, some had travelled from outside the district, she said.
"The event always has a vibe and it was different this year."
That included visitors from Southland and further afield, she said.
"I think the focus on domestic tourism made a difference."
