The festival wrapped up with Zoocoustics on Sunday, after 11 days of activities. Festival chair Anne Field said she was absolutely thrilled with the results of the event.

“At the Music + Markets/Lanterns + Lasers event we saw record crowds attend. With almost 15,000 attendances counted at the event on Saturday evening and over 20,000 overall we believe it is well and truly on the map as a flagship event,” Ms Field said.

“Although the postcode data is yet to be collated, it is clear the festival is making a significant contribution to the local economy.”

ALSO MAKING NEWS:

New additions to the event this year included the Westview Drive-in, Wellington’s Fong Lee’s Lane and the Painting and Prosecco evening.

“Our committee will regroup in a week or so to debrief and start some early discussions about our 2019 festival,” Ms Field said.

“We’d like to thank the many partner organisations who have worked with us to deliver the events, and the community who has supported the festival over the past eight years. We hope we’ve delivered events that they can enjoy and be proud of.”

Ms Field said an amazing group of volunteers had brought the series of events together.