NEON lights will light up the McCallum Street median strip from the weekend, with the light “playground” to add an explosion of colour to the cities nightlife.
From January 8 to January 16, the median strip will be transformed into a neon wonderland featuring angel wings, balloons, umbrellas, flowers, love hearts and archways for visitors to enjoy after dark.
Renowned neon artist Carla O’Brien has designed the displays, with some of her previous designs featuring in festivals and displays in Ballarat, Melbourne, Adelaide, Wagga Wagga, Mansfield, Hurstville, Canberra, Warrnambool and Queenscliff.
The display was proposed after the cancellation of the Seniors Tennis Championships, which had been scheduled in early January, and with no other major events planned during the Christmas and New Years period.
The announcement was a major boost for local businesses who had been copping hit after hit during the past few years given the lack of events being held, and the impact of ongoing COVID regulations.
Acting economic development manager Cara Brown was excited about the installation of the lights.
“The neon lights playground is an exciting opportunity to bring art and colour to the Swan Hill CBD, and bring to life our beautiful Mallee summer evenings,” she said.
Hopes were high that the display would attract tourists to the town to check out the spectacle for themselves, with hospitality venues possibly the biggest benefactors of the increased nightlife activity during the display.
“The location has been strategically chosen to encourage people to go out for dinner, drinks or to the movies (the pop-up cinema is in town), and then head on down to see the installation,” she said.
Funding for the installation was made possible through council’s event support fund, with hopes that if the display was successful is could be installed at other cities across the municipality in the future.
“The visual art installation has been funded from the event support fund, which aims to get people out and about supporting the local economy, we hope the neon lights playground creates a bit of fun and colour in the town after a pretty dull 2021,” Ms Brown said.
Councillors have also been in support of the neon lights playground with Cr Les McPhee hoping the display would bring some colour and positivity into people after the challenges faced during the past two years.
“COVID has caused us all to be a little more stressed than usual, this digital art display I hope will go a little way to putting some colour and positivity back into all of us as we continue to live through COVID challenges,” he said.
Cr Ann Young echoed her fellow councillors response.
“The neon lights display will be a happy and festive event for Swan Hill and surrounding areas that people can view from their cars or on foot whichever they choose, we need some colour and happiness in our lives at the moment,” she said.
