Coromandel Town will be lighting up again with the return of the Illume Winter Festival of Lights in July.

For the festival a variety of static and interactive light displays will adorn heritage buildings, businesses and homes down the main street on the nights of Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4.

The Illume Winter Festival of Lights returns to Coromandel Town on July 3-4. Photo: File

"This is a free, family, fun event,” says Illume promoters Brenda Kelsey and Karen McMillan, 'so come along and enjoy a street market, get a taste of our local Coromandel flavours, live music and street performances.

For this year's event the organisers have decided to hold the festival over just one weekend instead of two.

On Friday the main street will be closed for a night market featuring food stalls, musicians, clowns, a blacksmith firing metal, a robot man and street performers, from 5.30pm to 9pm.

Then on Saturday there will be a street parade, followed by fireworks and the release of wishing lanterns. The evening continues with live music and a street party.

Last year several thousand people turned up for the first ever Illume Winter Festival of Lights, held during the winter school holidays.

And despite terrible weather last year, businesses within the town and surrounds reported an increase in profit and turnover for last year's Illume week.

Karen says the event really brought the community together and seeing the main street full of people having a good time was exactly what we wanted to achieve.

'There's been a real influx of volunteers and people who want to be part of this year's event.

'We have a fabulous and committed group of locals who are 100 per cent behind organising this year's Illume Festival and making it a success.”

The Illume Festival received $20,000 from the Thames-Coromandel District Council Major Events Fund. Sponsorship and funding is still being sought after and of you can help please email Lionel Parsloe at: dili@xtra.co.nz

If anyone is also interested in running a stall during the night market there are still spaces available.

There is a small cost to operate a stall on the Friday or Saturday night, and these funds will be used to help with the creation of the 2016 Illume Festival. To register your interest email Marlene Johnson at pandmjohnson@xtra.co.nz

For more information about the Illume Winter Festival of Lights visit: www.illumefest.co.nz or www.facebook.com/illumefest