Calls for community support have been made to help light up Machynlleth’s last lantern festival.

This month the sad news came that this lantern parade and fireworks night would be the last under the current organisers.

After 14 years, the last event will take place on Saturday 1 November at 6.30pm, when handmade lanterns will be paraded through the high street before a firework display sees out the night, bringing the community together to celebrate the town’s creativity and the changing of the seasons.

To help the festivities go out with a bang, organisers have made the last event free to attend - but they need donations to cover firework costs.

Zoe Matthews, who has run the lantern festival since 2011 with the help of many volunteers, said she no longer has capacity to run the annual event, adding that she’s taking a personal risk by making the last event free: “We have had so many crew and volunteers over the years and I want to thank them and the community for it's support by sending the event out with a bang.

“No wristbands or tickets [will be needed], just pay what you can so that everyone can be there and show the love.”

To raise the £4,000 needed to pay for the firework display, a JustGiving page has been launched for people to donate.

There will also be lantern-making workshops running throughout this week to fill the parade, open to budding lantern makers of all ages.

The workshops will be:

Wednesday 29 October, 10am at the Wynnstay Hotel

Thursday 30 October, 7pm at Sploj on Bank Lane

Friday 31 October, 1.30pm at the Taj Mahal Community Hub

All workshop details can be found here - https://www.eventbrite.com/o/machynlleth-lantern-procession-119896343321

Donate to the last lantern festival here - https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mach-lanterns-1