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Last modified: 29 Jul 2020 10:20am

What started as a “cool idea”, has grown in just two short years to be the largest event in the Selwyn district.

That “cool idea” combined with hard work and community involvement saw an astounding 14,000 people at the 2019 Hororata Night Glow Festival.

Ballooning Canterbury and the Hororata Community Trust, invite balloonists from all over New Zealand to the festival, putting on a spectacular show of balloons lighting up in unison to music.

Together with live music, children’s entertainment, science demonstrations and street food the festival draws visitors to the district from far and wide.

Hororata Community Trust Executive Officer Cindy Driscoll says winning the Tourism Award at the 2018 Selwyn Awards—just after the first Night Glow—was amazing recognition.

“It meant so much to our community and was amazing recognition for all the hard work that the Trust, our volunteers and balloonists put into making this event happen” she says.

“Our aim was to showcase our district, provide a platform for our community groups to promote their various activities and invite people from all over to enjoy an amazing event with us. Winning the tourism award was recognition that we had achieved all of this.”

It was a “no brainer” to enter the 2018 Selwyn Awards as their reputation in the district was growing, Ms Driscoll says. “It’s a great initiative, so it made sense to get involved and enter the Night Glow in the Tourism category. I would encourage anyone to enter. It was a very rewarding experience and is a great celebration of everything the Selwyn district has achieved.”

As for the future of the Night Glow, “it’s only going to get bigger,” she says.

For more information on how you can get involved with the 2020 Selwyn Awards  email info@selwynawards.co.nz.