The Hats Were Lit! Light Up Your Hat Winners Announced
- Aug 4
- 2 min read
The hats were big, bold and bright at the 10th anniversary celebration of Light Up Winter Cromwell, with a record number of entries lighting up Anderson Park as part of the much-loved Light Up Your Hat Competition, brought to you by Barrett Homes Central Otago.
Each year, this competition brings out the imagination and creativity of our community and out-of-town visitors, and 2026 was no exception. From tiny glowing creations to incredible handmade masterpieces, the effort, enthusiasm and attention to detail on display was truly outstanding.
A huge thank you to Barrett Homes Central Otago Co-Owner, Dee Copeland and her amazing judging crew, for once again taking on the important task of selecting this year’s winners and delivering the on-stage hat parade. Their energy, enthusiasm and sense of fun helped make this one of the memorable moments of the evening.
The parade, hosted alongside MC Matt Chisholm, brought plenty of laughs, excitement and proud moments as entrants took to the stage to showcase their glowing creations.
Congratulations to all of our 2026 Light Up Your Hat winners:
Under 5 Years
🥇 1st Place – Abby Divers
🥈 2nd Place – Ella Benseman
🥉 3rd Place – Buckley Benseman
5–8 Years
🥇 1st Place – April Slape
🥈 2nd Place – Cooper Divers
🥉 3rd Place – Rose Smith
9–12 Years
🥇 1st Place – Lulu Robinson
🥈 2nd Place – Piper MacCormick
🥉 3rd Place – Sophie Wickham
13–17 Years
🥇 1st Place – Hannah Riley
🥈 2nd Place – Rose Weatherall
🥉 3rd Place – Connie Casey
18+
🥇 1st Place – Lucia Wilson with her incredible “Squid Lid”
🥈 2nd Place – Andrea Wilson
🥉 3rd Place – Ella Boyes
Corporate Category
This year’s corporate category had just one entry, so they truly cleaned up!
Congratulations to:
🥇 Santana Minerals...enjoy those well-earned Sanga's Pies.
A massive thank you to everyone who entered, supported and celebrated this special Light Up Winter tradition. The Light Up Your Hat Competition is a wonderful example of the creativity, community spirit and fun that makes this event so loved.
We can’t wait to see what incredible creations appear next year!
