Fire and Light festival this month
Knights in shining armour duelling to the death, a lantern parade, 3-D lighting displays, glowsticks, sausages and more will all be on tap to spoil Southlanders this month at the third Fire and Light Midwinter Festival.
The festival will be held from 5.30pm on June 19 at Eastside Baptist Church in Glengarry. Admission is free.
Co-ordinator Rebecca Amundsen said the festival was meant to celebrate the season and give Southland families something to do in winter.
‘‘Traditionally in Invercargill we don’t do much in winter,’’ she said.
‘‘Why can’t we do something to celebrate that the weather can be a little colder here?’’
The festival will feature musical performances by Rhythm n’ Brass and singer Gabbi Rose. The Southland Olympic Weightlifting Club will also have a sausage sizzle to help raise money for its planned trip to the Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea in July.
The event will conclude with a lantern parade around the Glengarry Shopping Centre, with a bagpiper providing musical accompaniment.
Amundsen said the ‘‘nice, big green space’’ at Eastside Baptist Church was a big reason for holding the festival there, as well as its easily accessible location.
‘‘Unofficial’’ co-ordinator Phil Orr said the event was starting earlier this year to accommodate families with younger children, after some said the festival went too late into the night. It is expected to wrap-up about 8.30pm.
Between 500 and 600 people attended last year’s festival, Orr said. Amundsen said they were hoping for an even bigger crowd this year.