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Organisers of the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights are confident that this year’s event, on July 6, will build on the success of last year, when more than 10,000 people flocked to the Warkworth town centre, giving hospitality businesses in particular a huge boost.
In earlier years, One Mahurangi business association manager Murray Chapman says, visitors tended to trickle in during the day, with larger crowds only arriving as night fell.
But the 2023 festival was buzzing all day.
The Warkworth Hotel reported the busiest day in its history, Golden Boat takeaways at one stage had an hour wait for food, and virtually all of the food trucks that rolled into town for the event ran out of supplies.
Marketview data on consumer spending showed that hospitality sector spend was up 50 per cent on the day, Murray says.
“We had probably 15-20 food trucks in town, so you’d think that would have drawn people away from the cafés and restaurants – but no. They all did really well out of it, which for me is one of the most pleasing things about the festival, because you want the town to benefit.”
This year, the association already has 23 food trucks lined up, with others on a waiting list.
The appeal for visitors goes way beyond food and drink, of course. Fun amusement rides, live music (including the fabulous family foursome Rumpus Machine), the ever-popular flashing-light disco floor in the Masonic Hall, and glow-in-the-dark face painting, vertical bungy jumping and water walking (in large inflatable ‘zorb’ balls) are among the attractions on offer.
The nighttime laser light show took a break last year in favour of a ceremony to launch the light installation on the river bank opposite the town. This year it’s back, scheduled for 8pm.
“It’s always been a huge attraction,” Chapman enthuses. “You see mums and dads and kids all dancing – it’s just magic.”
Another crowd favourite is the after-dark Parade of Lights, beginning in the PaperPlus carpark at 6pm.
While it celebrates floats festooned in lights, it’s for everyone, Murray says.
“Wrap your kids in battery-powered lights and join in.”
Contributing to the midwinter ambience, about 85 per cent of businesses in the town centre strung up lights last year.
Murray says One Mahurangi has always encouraged businesses in the industrial area to light up too, although few have so far.
It’s in their interests, he says. People from around the district who have never been up to the industrial area, but visit to view the lights, would see that there are businesses located there they were perhaps unaware of, and may come back later to use their services.
Of the businesses in the industrial area that have joined in, he singles out Splash Water Specialists, which had an illuminated dolphin in its window last year.
Chapman stresses the important role of volunteers in making the festival a success. Although the programme runs from 11am until 9.30pm, for volunteers that day starts at 6am and ends only around 11pm.
“Set-up is hard, but breaking down is horrendous, because you’re knackered,” he laughs. “It’s great to have volunteers who are fresh, especially young, strong people.”
Shadow of pipeline
The idea that Watercare may dig up the roads to lay a wastewater pipeline through Warkworth’s central business district is front of mind for One Mahurangi business association manager Murray Chapman as preparations for this year’s Winter Festival of Lights continue.
Among other things, he worries that if Watercare chooses the Queen Street route for its pipeline, that could push next year’s winter festival, and possibly also the Kowhai Festival and the Santa Parade, out of the town centre.
If such events had to move to, say, the showgrounds, they would be enormously impacted. They really need to be in the heart of the town, where the heritage buildings and river provide the ambience, he says.
“The disruption may only be for one or two years, but in the life of a festival that’s only been going since 2018, that’s a long time.”
That’s quite apart from the damage Murray says the pipeline construction would cause to businesses along the route. He predicts that some will close, with negative ripple effects reaching owners’ families and the wider community.
