Shoes and unicorns show the way

PATRICK HAMILTON/Nelson Mail

CARD AT IT: "Black Eyed Pete" (Tom Kennedy), left, "Saucy Sal" (Ali Kennedy) and "Barney Barnacles" (Matt Leniston) play Fish on the path to Saturday night's Lantern Spectacular climb to the centre of New Zealand.

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Magical art installations, including King Neptune and an ice queen with her unicorns, lit the way up to the Centre of New Zealand at Saturday night's Community Trust Lantern Spectacular.

About 4000 people, 1000 more than in past years, made the bewitching journey up the hill in the annual event, which kicks off the Summer in Nelson festival programme.

Organiser Kim Merry said working in with the Suter's Maui Dynasty exhibition went really well, with hundreds of families making their own lanterns.

Mr Merry said a Nelson art exhibition using hundreds of brightly coloured shoes had been reinvented for the night, with the artists using the shoes in a series of quirky installations up the hill.

"There were shoes as little boats with families inside them, and shoes flying, and shoes in trees."

The ice queen had found more unicorns this year and was handing out snowflakes to children as they went past.

A series of fur creatures coming out of the trees also featured, he said.

Mr Merry said he thought people were embracing the Nelson City Council events more, and the turnout was such that people had to queue for nearly five minutes before setting off on the trek.

"It could be that people appreciate a free family activity as times get tougher, and it also seems that newcomers to Nelson really value the sense of community we have here."

The festival continues with street entertainment, outdoor movies, the teddy bears' picnic and two major ticketed events, Sealord Opera in the Park on January 24 and Circus Oz in March.

Programme booklets are available at council offices, libraries and visitor centres throughout the region, and the information is on the website at wwwnelsonfestivals.co.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News