**Mercury Light Hub creative director Ant van Dorsten of Vesica Aotearoa prepares the light show in 2024. Photo: Dan Hutchinson**

The much-loved Dropzone Light Hub will once again illuminate the heart of the Malcolm Flowers Insurances Taupō Winter Festival, celebrating its 11th year as one of the festival's signature attractions.

Over the past decade, the Dropzone Light Hub has become a gathering place for locals and visitors alike, transforming winter evenings into a vibrant celebration of creativity, connection and community spirit.

This year's event promises another awesome experience, with creative light displays a welcoming atmosphere in the centre of Taupō.

Adding to the festival atmosphere, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings will feature a selection of local food trucks serving up delicious cuisine, alongside performances from some of Taupō's talented young local musicians.

The combination of lights, live music, the lions train running and great food offers something for all ages and provides an opportunity to support local businesses and emerging artists.

Festival organisers acknowledge the generous support of the supporters whose commitment has helped make the Dropzone Light Hub possible:

Dropzone, Whakapapa – Mt Ruapehu, Bevan Martin Electrical, Taproot, Kona Kones, Malcolm Flowers Insurances, Taupo Lions Club

A special acknowledgement goes to Ant van Dorsten, who through his company Vesica Aotearoa has been instrumental in curating and delivering the Dropzone Light Hub experience for the past six years.

Based in Hawke's Bay, Ant has played a significant role in the evolution of the Light Hub, helping transform it into one of the Taupō Winter Festival's most anticipated attractions.

**Tongariro South Domain is illuminated during the 2025 Malcolm Flowers Taupō Winter Festival. Photo: Dan Hutchinson**

His passion for creating memorable community experiences and his ongoing support have been a key part of the event's success.

This year, Ant's commitment has extended even further through his newly launched business, Taproot, which has come on board as a sponsor of the Light Hub. Taproot helps small business owners across Hawke's Bay and Taupō put artificial intelligence to work in practical, meaningful ways.

Rather than offering off-the-shelf software, Taproot works alongside business owners to understand where their time is being spent, build personalised AI systems around their operations, and provide hands-on coaching to help them implement lasting change.

The philosophy behind Taproot is simple: reduce the burden of repetitive day-to-day tasks so business owners have more time to focus on growth, innovation and life beyond work.

Ant's generous support, both through Vesica and now Taproot, reflects the collaborative spirit that sits at the heart of the Taupō Winter Festival and helps ensure the Dropzone Light Hub continues to evolve and delight festival-goers year after year.

As the Malcolm Flowers Insurances Taupō Winter Festival continues to bring the community together through a diverse programme of events, the Dropzone Light Hub remains a shining example of local collaboration, creativity and community support.

Opening Night on Friday 3 July promises to be a festival highlight as part of the More FM Opening Night Celebration. From 5pm, visitors can enjoy the giant community colouring in supported by McDonalds Taupo, local food trucks, rides on the popular Lions Train, a fairy & pixie craft station, a Matariki Star Hunt at Taupō Museum, and plenty of glow-in-the-dark fun for children.

Entertainment will include performances by the Taupō Great Lake Big Band and spectacular fire shows from Alektra Entertainment, creating a vibrant atmosphere of light, music and winter magic. With something for all ages, organisers are expecting a strong turnout as the community gathers to officially launch another memorable Malcolm Flowers Insurances Taupō Winter Festival.