Pancakes. Lanterns. Music. Ice. Laughs. It's an action-packed celebration of everything winter.
From the popular Unison Light Trail to a brand new ice slide, a cold swim and hotly-anticipated shows, the inaugural Taupo Winter Festival runs from Friday, July 15, until Sunday, July 17.
It has 31 events, and all but five are free. There's a mixture of family-friendly entertainment as well as arts and culture, comedy and music and it's aimed both at locals and out-of-towners in Taupo for the school holiday break.
While Thursday night's play Sons of a Bitch is already almost sold out, the festival kicks off properly on Friday with a lantern-making workshop and firelight celebration before the Unison Light Trail comes to life on the Tongariro South Domain. Whisky tasting and jazz follow as swing blues band the Dancing and Drinking Society take the stage.
On Saturday, there's a high tea at the Hilton Lake Taupo with chamber music, comedy from Wilson Dixon and music from Automatic 80s at the Great Lake Centre hall, which will be transformed into a "dodgy 80s disco" for the night.