Soaring lanterns, a bright full moon, great entertainment, and lots and lots of mulled wine. This is the scene that greeted visitors to the second annual Light Up Winter held in the Cromwell Mall on Friday, 27 July.
Paying no attention to the pouring rain and gusts of wind, the community came out in droves to support this fun family event – and good thing they did! The bad weather cleared right on schedule for the mass lantern release held at the Big Fruit Reserve.
“We were very pleased when the rain stopped,” says Janeen Wood, Chairperson of the Cromwell & Districts Promotion Group (CDPG) who organised the event. “Seeing the smiling faces of the children lit up by the twinkling lanterns made it all worthwhile.”
The lantern release was followed by the Light Up Your Hat parade, where everyone got to strut their creative stuff. Charlotte Hill took first prize in the ten years and under category with her crazy creation. Mum and daughter, Violet and Anthea Husein, were crowned winners of the adult categories and 11- to 18-year old category the respectively.
The shops in the mall showed their creative side for the Window Display Competition. Red’s Barbershop was awarded first prize in the Judge’s Choice, and Souvlaki & Kebab Grill won as The Central App People’s Choice.
There was also great entertainment throughout the evening, including rock-duo Siobhan Cruthers and Cameron Miller and the fabulous Gina Schmitz who braved the rain to get the festivities started off on the right note, as well as Queenstown band Versificator who ensured that the party lasted well into the night.
“This Light Up Winter was a shining example of the Cromwell community spirit,” says Janeen. “We want to thank everyone who came out while it was still raining, as well as everyone who stayed till the end. We also want to give a huge shout out to the over 70 volunteers who helped us make sure everything ran smoothly. Without you, this wouldn’t have been possible.”
All in all, Light Up Winter was an amazing evening, and we are looking forward to hosting an even better and brighter event next year!