Thousands gather to light up winter

More than 4,000 people gathered at the Big Fruit reserve in Cromwell on Saturday to celebrate Infinite Energy Light Up Winter.

Carolyn Murrary, the chair of the Cromwell & Districts Promotion Group that organised the event, says they "couldn't be happier with the turnout".

This was the sixth edition of Light Up Winter, and the first time it was held outside The Mall.

“Light Up Winter has been growing exponentially since its inception, and it just made sense to shift to a bigger venue this year,” she says.

Crafty locals lit up their hats for Cromwell's annual Light Up Winter hat parade.

Despite less-than-promising weather forecasts, the evening turned out to be crisp and clear - perfect for the mass lantern release that saw close to 1,000 lanterns take to the sky.

The lantern release was followed by the Light Up Your Hat parade, which again attracted many bright and beautiful designs.

The festivities lasted well into the night.

While visitors sipped mulled wine, had dinner, and enjoyed everything the night market had to offer, LA Social kept the party going with their lively set.

A thousand lanterns lit up the winter night sky in Cromwell on Saturday.

“There is something incredibly special about Light Up Winter and we love bringing it to our community.

“We want to thank everyone who came out in support, especially our amazing volunteers who made sure everything ran smoothly.”

The ice skating rink, a new addition to the event, will remain open until Thursday, and tickets are available via Trybooking.