Chinese Lantern Festival gets bike friendly

Wednesday, 10 February 2016

The widely celebrated Auckland Lantern Festival is back for another year of lights, food, fireworks, and a major new addition. 

Auckland Council is pedaling out a Lantern Festival Bike Park - an initiative designed to ease pressure on public transport.

Event organisers hope it will encourage people to leave their cars at home and bike to the event.

Having outgrown its original location of Albert Park, the festival will now be held at the Auckland Domain. 

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* Auckland's Chinese Lantern Festival kicks off tonight** 

Cyclists can bike closer to the festival than any other mode of public transport will take them, thanks to a temporary road. They will then leave their cycles at the valet bike parking where they'll receive a free service.  

There will also be spot prizes on the night for the 'best lit bikes'. It is hoped the bike park will become a visual attraction in itself.

Eric Ngan, event producer, said as well as reducing congestion around the event, the bike park encourages festival goers to participate in a fun and healthy activity.

'Over the last four or five years, Major Events have been approached by cycling enthusiasts seeking to find a way to include cycling into the festival programme.

'It's great that through a combined creative energy with cyclists, Auckland Transport and ATEED's partnership with the Health Promotion Agency, and due to the new, bigger venue, we have been able to action this,' Ngan said.

The festival, which began in 2000, celebrates the Chinese New Year and will illuminate the skies from February 18 to 21.