Manawatu Fireworks Spectacular Display

Display location:Mansfield
City:Mansfield
State:Texas
Date:December 22

Details: Uncertainty about how the weather will behave over the next 48 hours means the Manawatu Fireworks Spectacular will become the perfect family Christmas treat.

Always a huge crowd puller, the annual event is now down to be staged on December 22, with the following night as a backup date.

Organisers had hoped to run the display on Wednesday night, having postponed from October 28, but were defeated by the forecast.

However, they're upbeat about the prospective producing a real Christmas cracker instead.

"It's a great shame that we've had to postpone for a second week but the forecast is not good for the remainder of the week, with more wind and rain arriving, and underfoot the ground is still very wet," explained Manfeild chief executive Heather Verry.

The venue was not available for the immediate future, due to commercial obligations.

Mrs Verry said the organising committee had been considering permanently moving the event to later in the year. It was a sad irony that the weather around the Guy Fawke's period simply was rarely conducive to holding a fireworks' display.

"It's something that has been considered for some time and the number of postponements in recent years supports this shift.

"The weather patterns have significantly changed over the October, November period and by moving to our next proposed date hopefully will see more settled weather.

"We will now work with the programme to integrate a Christmas theme. Kids will have finished school by then and people will be winding down for a Christmas break."

The night is easily the single-biggest event hosted at Manfeild Park, attracting between 15,000 and 20,000 attendees. The park can comfortably take such a big crowd.

The organising committee mainstays are Manfeild Trust, Kairanga Lions and Feilding Promotion but other groups are involved on the night.

It's a true community event that involves the entire region. Money raised is dispensed to a wide variety of charities.

Any outdoor event is always at the mercy of the elements - in 2006 it was also postponed until December.