Saturday night marked another outstanding year for the Ōpōtiki Lantern Festival – it’s lucky 13th year running in the small Eastern Bay town.

The excited crowds through the Princess Street Reserve gates were entertained by 26 talented performers for the afternoon and evening.

Ōpōtiki District Council’s Ōpōtiki’s experience and engagement co-ordinator, Iranui Huriwai said it was an incredible day with “glowing” feedback from locals and visitors alike.

“This was the first time we have held the Festival just that little bit later into the year, but Ōpōtiki turned on a beautiful day with hot sun for the early acts and a lovely settled evening for the big names.

“We had hundreds of picnic blankets and whānau set-ups scattered across the grass and the food trucks all did a roaring trade.

“We had a wide range of food vendors with some crowd favourites and some new names that attended for the first time. Their feedback has been really positive as well saying the crowds had great vibes and everyone was patient and having a blast.

“The performers always love coming to Ōpōtiki with a great crowd and such a friendly atmosphere,” Ms Huriwai said.

Ms Huriwai recognised how fortunate the district was to have a thriving and locally-supported event each year. Particularly with other festivals across the motu both big and small seeing postponements or cancellations of community events.

“The local support is vital to our success, and we love the annual coming-together in the community. And as our fame grows, we also enjoy hosting visitors from out of town, showing them the best our district has to offer.

“I’d also like to acknowledge the many people and businesses behind the scenes who keep everything running smoothly.

“So much work goes into making sure all the pieces come together smoothly – from eftpos machines to fencing, security, through to performers and their sounds and lights.

“There are so many helpers and contractors who work hard to make it happen and so I’d like to thank them for all they did this year.

“Thanks to the incredible sponsors who made our largest and most successful show to date a reality – Trust Tairawhiti, Aotearoa Gaming Trust, The Lion Foundation, Trust Horizon, and Ōpōtiki District Council.

“And obviously thanks to the amazing artists and our MC Hadz Hadleigh Pouesi, we couldn’t do it without you!” Ms Huriwai said.