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Strong winds and rain did not stop more than 1000 people attending the Auckland Lantern Festival's opening last night.
It certainly couldn't stop Malaysian Chinese immigrant Alice Chan from taking her 10-year-old son Matthew to Albert Park two hours before the festival officially began.
"I want to make sure we can get a good look at the lanterns, and get a chance to explain the significance of each one to Matthew without having to rush with the crowds later," Mrs Chan said.
Rain is threatening a number of outdoor events, including tonight's Starlight Symphony. MetService forecaster Ian Gall said the rain, which started falling yesterday, would carry on for the rest of the weekend.
"There may well be some heavy falls, mainly north of Auckland City, but it's still going to be fairly solid rain anyway."
The lantern festival marks the end of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebrations, and for thousands of Chinese Aucklanders like Mrs Chan, it has become very much a part of how they celebrate their New Year here.
"The smell of firecrackers, lanterns burning brightly, sounds of drums from the performers and smell of food is as close to Chinese New Year at home [Malaysia] as we can get," she said.
Hundreds of lanterns will be on display in Albert Park until tomorrow.
