Festival city - come rain or shine

By LIBBY MIDDLEBROOK

Three Auckland summer festivals were battered by bad weather yesterday, with one being forced to cancel its final night of celebrations.

The Chinese Lantern Festival abandoned its closing event at Albert Park, following a two-night festival that attracted 90,000 people.

The Hero Festival postponed its Wigs on the Waterfront event, which would have featured drag queen performances at the city's Viaduct Harbour.

Day two of the Devonport Food and Wine Festival went ahead despite the rain, but visitor numbers fell away, only 2000 people turning up yesterday.

"You've only got the real wine connoisseurs out here today," said Titirangi resident Gloria Freeman, who, like most people, spent the day sipping wine beneath a soggy sun umbrella.

Organisers of the food and wine festival were not too disappointed with yesterday's turnout as a record 30,000 had attended on Saturday. "We had such a boomer day that whatever crowd we were going to get today was just a bonus," said organiser Jan McEwen, who estimated the festival would raise $180,000 for charity.

A spokeswoman for the Chinese Lantern Festival, Tanya St George, said organisers were disappointed to abandon the final evening of the festival, featuring fire-works, thousands of lanterns and entertainment to mark the Chinese new year.

But the festival would now become annual because of the phenomenal turnout.

"It's been absolutely magical. It really shows Aucklanders are embracing Auckland as a multicultural city."

Hero Festival spokeswoman Amanda Timperley said that while Wigs on the Waterfront had been postponed until further notice, the festival had attracted more than 1000 people to its gala at the Civic on Saturday.

The festival's main event, the Hero Parade, will be held on Saturday night.

The MetService last night issued a heavy-rain warning for Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula.

The rain is expected to ease this afternoon, clearing later in the week in time for the Pasifika Festival, which officially starts on Saturday.