Reflections’s- Light up Whakatāne Light Festival
Between the 19th to 28th August, over 8,000 locals and visitors were drawn into Whakatāne’s town centre to enjoy the Trust Horizon Light Up Festival – a series of light-based art installations stretching across the CBD.
A collaborative effort between Arts Whakatāne, EPIC (Events Promotion Initiatives and Community), and the Whakatāne District Council, the festival was initially set to run for three days over winter. However, as the organisations recognised a growing need for family-friendly free community events, the festival was extended to 10 days.
“There had been talk of a collaborative event between the Council and Arts Whakatāne for some time,” says Sam Poots, Arts Whakatāne Events Manager and Artist Liaison. “We had seen the popularity of light festivals around New Zealand. They’re family friendly, cater to a wide market, and bring people in at night. So we thought bringing light to Whakatāne would be a great way to draw more visitors over winter.”
The collaboration was rounded out by EPIC, a local initiative that supports business growth in Whakatāne’s CBD. “It was great to see families of all ages out and about in the town centre over the free festival,” says Cherie Stevenson from EPIC. “It brought vibrancy and community together with an increase in hospitality, at what has so far been a quiet period in Whakatāne this winter.”
For local businesses, the increase in foot traffic during the festival was a highlight. “The first Sunday of the festival was the biggest day of that week for us, which is really uncommon,” says Tony Edelston, owner of The Comm. “We had higher than normal foot traffic and walk-ins the majority of the week, so it served us really well.”
Whakatāne local, Rebecca Stanley, attended almost every event throughout the week with her family. A particular highlight was joining a walking tour group, which saw the artists responsible for each installation explain the meaning behind their work in person. “There’s not always a lot on during the year in Whakatāne, so to have the community come together around an event like this was so cool to see,” says Stanley. “It was really family friendly, my girls loved it. There were so many people there, you never knew who you’d bump into. I think this was just what Whakatāne needed.”
The event had the backing of five major sponsors – including Bay Trust, Whakatāne District Fund, Toi Moana BOP Regional Council Fund, Whakatāne District Creative Communities Fund, and Trust Horizon. “Trust Horizon wishes to thank Arts Whakatāne, EPIC, and the Whakatāne District Council for their efforts in bringing an event of this calibre to our community,” says Derek Caudwell, Trust Horizon Chief Executive. “The number of locals and visitors who enjoyed the festival is a testament to all the hard work that went into it by the organisers and artists. We are really looking forward to building on its success and seeing what can be achieved next year.”
“We’re so grateful that we had such huge support from the community and businesses alike,” says Sam Poots of Arts Whakatāne. “We’d like to say a special thank you to Trust Horizon for backing the event. It was a first for Whakatāne, and we had a tight time-frame of about 4-5 months to pull it off, so to have Trust Horizon’s support from the beginning was fantastic.”