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Event Hire managing director Philip Anderson checks out disco balls, on Monday, installed for the Illuminate Light and Sound Experience at the Timaru Botanic Gardens at the weekend.
Fairy light tunnels, disco balls and inflatables have popped up in Timaru’s Botanic Gardens, ahead of a massive light show, with organisers urging the public to book now, or risk missing out.
Illuminate, being held from Thursday to Sunday, is an interactive light show that people can walk through, and includes sound activations. Most of the gardens will be used.
The event is being run by Event Hire, a company run by Philip Anderson, his twin brother Nick and Michael Dewar – all formerly of Timaru.
On Monday, event managing director Philip Anderson said the weather forecast was looking positive for the four-evening event.
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While tickets sales were going “really well’’, he urged people to book ahead.
“There may be door sales, but the big concern is people waiting for the day, and the tickets may not be available,’’ Anderson said.
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Event Hire marketing manager Kita Radcliffe walks past a fairy light tunnel ahead of the Illuminate Light and Sound Experience at the Timaru Botanic Gardens.
Friday and Saturday evenings were likely to sell out, he said.
“The weather is looking good.’’
He said in the event an evening had to be cancelled it would be announced on social media and there were other nights it could run.
It had run light shows at both the Founders Heritage Park in Nelson, and Christchurch’s Ferrymead Park in the past couple of years. The Timaru event has been organised specifically for the Botanic Gardens, with a food alley and an under-5 area.
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Philip Anderson walks among planets set up for the event.
The immersive, interactive and tactile event will also have fairground rides including the former Super Trooper from Caroline Bay, a walkover piano, and in the under-5 zone there will be bouncy castles and gunge.
Since organisers began setting up at the gardens late last week, there had been a lot of interesting in what they were doing, Anderson said.
“We are hoping it brings in big numbers from out of Timaru too.’’
Most of the lighting would be up before Wednesday, and there would be several trial runs to make sure organisers were happy, he said.
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Philip Anderson is encouraging people to book now for the event that begins on Thursday.
“We’re running ahead of schedule [to set up],’’ he said.
Venture Timaru and the Timaru District Council had given $25,000 for the event.
The experience would run from 5.30pm to 9.30pm on Thursday, and 5.45pm to 9.30pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets were available at illuminateshow.co.nz.
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Philip Anderson, left, and Kita Radcliffe test out the basketball inflatable castle.