White Night returned to Bendigo last night, sending displays onto the regional city's Victorian architecture that highlighted its gold mining, Chinese, and First Nations history.
The night drew tens of thousands of people, mainly families, to enjoy the festival of art, culture and music, with numbers expected to beat the 2018 White Night numbers.
It's the first time the popular event has returned to the regional city in Victoria since 2018 after a false start during the coronavirus pandemic.
Then it drew a crowd of 60,000 people but the event locked in for 2021 was later cancelled.
Michael Caine was one of the many parents to bring their children to the hear of Bendigo on Saturday night to enjoy the return of White Night.
"It's great. Seeing the kids' faces light up over the light displays is good. It just blows them away. Happy kids, happy parents," he said.
The highlights for his children Ariella, 4, and Archie, 3, was The Guardian – a 4 metre high, 10 metres long puppet that either scared or excited children and their parents as it roared through Rosalind Park.
"It's really good to bring all the kids and the family out.
"And it's good to see everyone out and about again and putting a bit of money back into the community. So, positivity all around," Mr Caine said.
"It boosts tourism. It boosts all the money coming back into Bendigo after we lost that all through COVID.
"Everyone benefits -- especially small businesses. Plenty of people are eating out tonight."
White Night creative director Jospeh "JOF" O'Farrell said it was a privilege and an honour to bring the -well-known White Night festival to light in Bendigo.
"People recognise the brand, and they love it," he said.
The night's events saw Faces of Djaara traditional owners projected onto the facades of the old Colonial Mutual Bank building and Cahill Chambers at Charring Cross in the centre of the CBD.
Faces of Djaara reflected portraits of local traditional owners of the Dja Dja Wurrung people such as elder Uncle Trent Nelson and Tori Kerr.
The arts precinct along View Street, home to the famed Bendigo Art Gallery, the Gold Dragon Chinese Museum, Bendigo Law Courts and Pall Mall all hosted light displays.
Deputy Premier of Victoria and Member for Bendigo East, Jacinta Allan, said White Night was a wonderful opportunity for the community to reconnect and appreciate the canvas of buildings and landmarks in Bendigo that serve as the backdrop for the light displays.
"We are blessed with such a strong history, Indigenous history, gold rush history, cultural history," she said.
"The giant baby out the front of the art gallery is certainly a sight to behold.
"I think the measurement of a great White Night is that people are enjoying themselves, connecting with their community, connecting with the creative displays that are on offer."
