Winter Festival set to light up Taupo

Country singer, philosopher and unintentional funnyman Wilson Dixon will be in Taupo for the Taupo Winter Festival but without band members Errol Scroat and Snake Wizzletits.

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 July 15-17. 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.

With Thursday night's play Sons of a Bitch already almost sold out, the festival kicks off properly on Friday, July 15 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 with swing blues band The Dancing and Drinking Society.

The next day there's a high tea at the Hilton Lake Taupo with chamber music, comedy from Wilson Dixon and music from Automatic 80s, with the Great Lake Centre hall transformed into a "dodgy 80s disco" for the night.

Throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday there will be plenty of free family events including an art exhibition, a writing competition for school students and exhibition, a film showcase screening historic films of Taupo from 1920 to the 1990s and a giant canvas created by local illustrator Donovan Bixley to colour in.

Other July events have also come under the Taupo Winter Festival umbrella, including the Taupo Market, the popular Taupo Hobby Expo, open studios by local artists, the Turangi River Shiver and the Lake Taupo Mid-Winter Swim.

The festival is also bringing a new attraction, a 35m ice slide, free to the public from 10am to 4pm daily.

Towncentre Taupo is getting on board on Saturday, July 16, with Streets Alive, a collection of activities, entertainment and buskers around the Taupo shopping area.

The festival wraps up on Sunday July 17 with a free pancake breakfast for 2000 people and a full day of activities.

The festival is the brainchild of Taupo events and arts organisers Nicola Carter and Kylie Hawker-Green. Mrs Hawker-Green said they are very excited about the blend of free events and ticketed shows.

"I'd be thrilled if everyone had a go at something -- the light trail, a go on the ice slide or a party at Automatic 80s."

Visit www.taupowinterfestival.co.nz. Tickets for the paid events are at Ticketek.