Festival of light looks to the stars for inspiration
A giant spaceman, glowing mushrooms and a tunnel of fairy lights are part of a new show illuminating Nelson.
Illuminate Light and Sound Experience opened at Founders Heritage Park on Thursday.
It is in Nelson for the first time, after its inaugural display at Christchurch’s Ferrymead Heritage Park last year.
The event’s managing director, Philip Anderson, said that after showcasing it in Christchurch, Event Hire creators sought to take it to other parts of New Zealand, and Nelson fitted the bill.
Heritage parks were the perfect spots, with the infrastructure to host thousands of visitors while also being able to accommodate hundreds of thousands of lights, he said.
Last year in Christchurch, the show was a drive-through experience to restrict the spread of Covid19, with more than 3000 vehicles going through the popular fairy light tunnel. Sounds could be picked up via a radio station created for the event.
This year, visitors will be able to walk through the 30m fairy light tunnel. There are more than 100,000 fairy lights across the park’s displays.
Anderson said some other popular attractions included the stepping pads, which changed colour when walked on, and the outer space installation.
A 10m illuminated spaceman stands amid the planets, where a stroll through can ‘‘feel like you’re among the Milky Way’’, he said.
He hoped that the light show could become an annual event, with other cities included.
Anderson said Event Hire was inspired to create the show after supporting smaller light shows and realising that ‘‘everyone loves lights’’.
Illuminate Light and Sound Experience is at Founders Heritage Park until tomorrow, and from August 4 to 7. Tickets are $10 per person online at eventbrite.com or $12 on the door, and food carts are on site.