Thames’ inaugural family fireworks show is set to be an annual event, with organisers at Moanataiari School calling it a “huge success”.
Light It Up Thames was held on November 8 at Rhodes Park, to fundraise for Moanatairi School’s new playground.
Around 4000 people attended the gala, which had food, entertainment and stalls, and culminated in a 12-minute professional fireworks display.
School Parents and Teachers Association member Julie White said the feedback from the community was overwhelmingly supportive.
“It was just really cool to see the community out and about and enjoying something within Thames,” she said.
“While the fireworks were going on, I had a young family next to me and I heard the little boy say, ‘oh, this is the best day of my life’. So hearing that and the buzz around town afterwards, I think it was all worth it.”
School principal David Brock agreed, saying several people had contacted the school to express their gratitude and offer further donations towards the playground.
There was some concern on social media about the location ahead of the event, with people worried the site at Rhodes Park was too close to the local SPCA and pony club, and would cause distress to the animals.
But David said the school had carefully considered the location, and had communicated with neighbouring properties ahead of the night.
“There aren’t any other venues in town which have access to things like parking, lighting, water supply, electricity, and all the things that you need for a major event like that. Even the sheer space, because we had to have a large exclusion zone because of the fireworks,” David said.
“We couldn’t run it at school because the Ministry of Education won’t let fireworks be displayed on school properties. There’s nowhere else in Thames that is at all [suitable].”
David said the organisers visited the SPCA, pound, and pony club several weeks ahead of the event, and followed up with correspondence.
“We understand the concern of people who love animals – a lot of us have got pets as well,” David said.
“We tried in every way and we’re mindful of the animals. But in saying that, we’re also mindful that the SPCA is actually closer to venues like the gun club and the airfield where you’re also going to have noise. And our event… with the fireworks display going off, it lasted for 12 minutes.”
The SPCA made a call for volunteers to help soothe the animals during the display, and had music playing and people sitting with each animal over the evening.
The school is now looking ahead to the 2026 event, and is hoping to find community sponsors to help cover expenses.
“We had to invest quite a bit of money because fireworks aren’t that cheap – we’ll end up making probably a small profit, but a lot of it’s gone in outlaying and setting up the event,” David said.
“It was a fundraiser for our playground, but overall, our intention was a community event to bring the community together for a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. And I feel like we’ve achieved that,” Julie said.
The final amount raised had not yet been calculated when The Profile went to print.
