A giant glowing turtle, kids favourite Bluey, mermaids and dolphins lit up Lake Macquarie on the weekend as part of the Float Your Boat festival.
Thousands lined the lake's shore and converged on live sites in Toronto and Warners Bay as the flotilla set sail on Friday and Saturday night.
Vessels toured the western side of the lake on Friday, passing Toronto foreshore on their way to Wangi Wangi.
The boats headed east on Saturday past crowds who were also treated to fire-twirling, LED light artists and musicians at Warners Bay.
The crew of Mistique took out the Mayor's Choice award in the five to 10 metre boat category for its Twinkly Toes the Octopus light sculpture. The team from yacht Influencer took out the 10 metre-plus category for their mermaid and octopus arrangement.
The community can vote for their own favourites via the Newcastle Permanent People's Choice Award.
Voters go in the draw to win $100, while the winning boat will take home a $2000 prize.
"Float Your Boat is a wonderful opportunity to not only showcase our beautiful lake at night, but to activate lakeside locations that are typically quieter at this time of year," Lake Macquarie mayor Kay Fraser said.
"I'm so grateful to all the boaties who took part this year. It takes a lot of effort to create these huge illuminated works of art, but the reactions of the kids - and their parents - showed how much they were appreciated."
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