Hororata Glow Festival – A must-glow event!

New Zealand is one of the most magical places in the world to create memories with your family and friends. Wherever you turn, there is an event being held that will catch your attention and be worthwhile of your time.

Here in the South Island, within the Selwyn community, year after year, we are proud to watch our community thrive and come together to celebrate festivals and events. One of these major events have included the Hororata Glow Festivals, a bi-annual event that brings over 10,000 visitors through its grounds each time it is held.

The Hororata Glow Festival is brought to you by the inspiring Hororata Community Trust, who have been working incredibly hard to rebuild the Hororata Community post-earthquake. Profits made from the event are used to benefit the community and allow them to continue to bring together the New Zealand spirit with the many other cultures and visitors that grace New Zealand.

Due to be next held in May 2023 (covid permitting), the Hororata Glow Festival is as equally spectacular as it is beautiful, with gigantic hot air balloons lighting up the evening sky. Thousands of people have been brought together to watch on in wonder as the giant balloons glowed in unison to music. And those lucky early birds who arrived early, were given an amazing opportunity to walk inside the giant inflated hot air balloons and speak    directly with the crew that operated them. Please note however, these hot air balloons do not leave the ground at any point during the evening, meaning that at no point will the array of lights and beauty stop!

With food stalls, wine, drink, attractions, and activities, there really is something there for everyone. And with past Glow Festivals hosting an outdoor movie theatre, aerial performances, science demonstrations and a Glow Circus, what magical nights these events have turned out to be! Discovery is everywhere! Most definitely not a night to be easily forgotten. 

Cindy Driscoll, Hororata’s own Community Trust Executive Office and Event Manager is extremely proud of the event and loves how the community and its visitors are all brought together by the festival.

“It’s really hard to describe how much we’ve packed into this festival. We wanted to expand our thinking around things that glow and make people understand this isn’t just about putting the balloons up. I want to see people smiling and glowing, as corny as that sounds, that’s what we are looking forward to the most, seeing people wowed by little bits and pieces throughout this event.”
-  Cindy Driscoll, Hororata Community Trust Executive Officer

“This festival is all about giving people a positive experience, that boost we all need going into winter. We want everyone to GLOW,”
-  Cindy Driscoll 

With local kiwi artists supplying the music, smiles and good company have flown through the crowds easily at these events, with children dancing around their parents and the young-at-hearts not able to stop themselves from joining in! It truly has been a feel-good atmosphere that the Hororata Community has put together, and with everything that has been going in these last few years with Covid, we have all needed some beautiful memories and joyous occasions to lift us up!

And what’s more is that, in line with the Selwyn Community spirit, 60-70% of the waste from the Glow Festival is saved from going to the landfill by being composted and recycled. So, everyone that takes part and attends the festival, walks away feeling good about where their money went, knowing that the event was as environmentally friendly as it is fun.

Music, fantastic food, beautiful sights, glowing faces, wide-ranging entertainment and supporting a fantastic community, what’s not to love!