And standing around in the freezing cold of a mid-winter night at Circular Quay to look at lights was first considered crazy.

Yet, they have all worked to attract locals and tourists to spend money at a normally quiet time of the year for business.

Sydney prides itself as being the home of sun and surf, but the Vivid festival held at the coldest time of the year is now Australia’s largest event.

The success of these events shows that people will come out in winter if there is something good to see and do.

Whether we like it or not Orange is one of the coldest places in the state in winter.

But, we are not cashing in on it.

People from Orange travelled over the past few weeks to go to winter festivals elsewhere.

Brand Orange executive officer Rhonda Sear remembers that our previous attempt to create a winter festival, Frostfest, stopped because of a lack of support.

“It was challenging to entice people out of their warm, cosy homes," she said.

“It worked OK, but it didn’t set the world on fire.”

Ms Sear said a problem for Orange was finding the correct venue.

It needs to be in the CBD, close to pubs and restaurants, big enough to have a significant ice rink, have other rides and activities and have stalls for food, drink and merchandise.

Robertson Park hosts events of this size but there are concerns over killing the grass.

So what about the forecourt in front of the museum, library and art gallery, or closing off McNamara Street next to Robertson Park for the rink?

There should be scope in such a winter festival for ice sculpting displays, art, snowman building, live performances, music, a toboggan run and more.

Such a festival will need serious funding and promotion – and most of all a committee to organise it and come up with a vision that sets it apart from other similar festivals.

All the key festivals in the state started out small, think of the early days of the Tamworth Country Music Festival and the Parkes Elvis festival and indeed our own FOOD week and wine festivals.

But they have grown into huge money spinners.

After all it’s never too late for a good idea.