Lighting up winter nights

THE lights are on and Rosalind Park is glowing every night until Sunday, 17 July.

GLOW – Bendigo After Dark opened last Saturday, with 11 installations and projections telling stories unique to the region using light, colour, and sound.

All things Bendigo, including heritage, gastronomy, mining history and the cycling culture are showcased in the park.

Power AV is the local company behind the event, and manager and director Grant and Alicia Villiers said they are thrilled with how it came together.

“We’ve only seen it on paper, these ideas, so to actually see it come to life has blown my mind,” Ms Villiers said. “I’m so happy with how it’s turned out.

“I hope people love it and I hope they can celebrate the town we live in. Looking at the stories, the heritage, culture and food, it’s a great place to celebrate.”

A projected acknowledgement of country greets visitors before walking under a trail of 600 lanterns celebrating the Chinese heritage of Bendigo.

Bicycles are suspended over the Bendigo Creek and silhouetted onto the war memorial building, and Dja Dja Wurrung stories and designs are shone onto the park’s path.

“We’re born and bred in Bendigo, so we know all the little things; the cycling culture, the heritage and the Djaara and the importance they play in welcoming us on their land,” Ms Villiers said.

“We pulled those stories together and thought about how we can use that in a light show. We wanted to use different elements, not just the standard projecting and changing colours.

“We’ve used different textures, materials, lanterns, and different types of lights like neon and black light, smoke. All elements except water.”

Tickets are $15 for adults over 16 years old, $3 for children three to 16 years old and free for those younger. Head to bit.ly/3u3vSIY for tickets.