DESPITE the rain, Canberra's $1.2 million Enlighten entertainment festival had already sold 3159 tickets before it even started on Friday night.
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Enlighten, held over two consecutive weekends, started Friday and continued into last night and will finish this coming weekend. A number of events still have a handful of tickets remaining, including Antarctic Inspirations where harpist Alice Giles shares her personal journey through music and imagery.
Free music on the West Side Stage from bands such as Los Capitanes along with Eagle and the Worm were cancelled because of the rain, but may be offered again this coming weekend.
Pollock Pong, a game where people create Jackson Pollock-type art by playing a unique version of ping-pong using pots of paint and protective suits, was also cancelled but will almost certainly happen this coming weekend.
The thousands of tickets sold in the lead-up to the event is a good sign for Enlighten, after criticism last year when there were low numbers and a third of tickets were given away for free.
This year's Enlighten includes a number of new events, including a magically lit rainforest at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. ''This special after-dark experience will highlight the rich diversity of plants in our rainforest and provides a new tourism opportunity for visitors to the gardens and Canberra,'' the gardens' executive director Judy West said. The rainforest experience can be booked by school and tour groups and will be available to the public during special events. The tours will also run on Friday, March 9, and Saturday, March 10.
