Lights dance with the children at Hawke's Bay Showgrounds

Bright lights: Liam Kenwright, Havelock North, and Mikayla Griffiths, Hastings enjoying the Fiesta of Lights at the Waikoko Gardens at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds. Photo/Warren Buckland.

Each year people visit brightly lit creatures that decorate the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds for the Fiesta of Lights. Reporter Alice Lock went to check it out.

Diving dolphins, jumping reindeer and floating jellyfish sparkle in the sky at the Fiesta of Lights.

Families and friends eagerly line up in front of a lit-up path before them leading them into a transformed Hawke's Bay Showgrounds.

A large bright elephant greets you at the gate, enticing you to dive further into the trail.

On the other side of a bridge you pass sparkling mermaids, flashing teddy bears and flaming dragons.

Fairy lights spiral up palm trees with the trunks dressed in hot pink and branches blue.

Children in pyjamas are buzzing as they watch the flamingos fly and lanterns fill the air. "Weee," the children squeal as they watch in awe as dolphins dive across the sky.

The lights then begin to dance to Christmas carols.

The children are soon dancing to Joy to the World as they pick up the fluorescent hula hoops and spin them around their waists.

Denise and Barry Coulan from Napier attend the Fiesta of Lights most years and this year brought family members from all over New Zealand with them.

"We decided to come as a group so there is 13 of us and our grandchildren are loving it."

Mrs Coulan said they thought the organisers had done an amazing job and felt this year was bigger and better than previous years.

"I just feel like there is a lot more going on, it is excellent so well done to them."

The streams of laughter heard across the showgrounds showed that Mr and Mrs Coulan weren't the only ones enjoying the spectacle.

The Fiesta of Lights will take it up a notch on December 31 with New Year celebrations kicking off from 8:30pm.

The display runs until January 7 and I encourage people to get down to the showgrounds and experience this lighting extravaganza.