The Lantern Parade hopes to light up the night’s sky with a “long burn” so this first event can turn into much more.
“What I'm hoping for is this becomes a moment of fun and joy where you can let go of the seriousness of life and just have a night of just frivolous fun,” said Christine De Vuono, member of the Exhibition Park Neighbourhood Group (EPNG).
The Lantern Parade is Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. at Exhibition Park. All are welcome to join this free event.
People can make their own lanterns out of any materials they see fit and bring what they made to the park. For safety reasons De Vuono encourages people to use battery operated forms of light like a flashlight, string lights, or LED candles to light their lanterns.
Parade goers can dress up in costume and deck themselves out in lights to be their own lanterns.
De Vuono has lived in the Exhibition Park neighbourhood for the last 14 years. She had the opportunity to reinvigorate the neighbourhood group when the core volunteers passed on the torch onto her and other members.
She hopes the Lantern Parade could be one of three anchor events the group hosts annually.
“We're hoping this is a long burn,” she said. “This might be a little event this year, we're hoping it'll be bigger next year.”
The inspiration for it came from De Vuono’s experience at Vancouver’s Illuminares, a lantern festival with a procession around Trout Lake. She and her friends had lanterns they painted into the sun and the rest of the planets in the galaxy. “We spread out into the field and everyone orbited our sun, and it looked amazing,” she said.
Since this is the first time EPNG has put on the parade there will be a craft table for people to make their own lanterns in case this is an event people happen to stumble upon.
When it gets dark people can walk through the paved paths in the park with their lanterns, costumes, and instruments. It will be a procession with music in tow. It will end in the usually dark football field at the park with the lanterns to light it up. More music will be played and De Vuono hopes a dance party will ensue.
There isn’t a theme for the parade but De Vuono mentioned it lands on the day before the equinox. The equinox is when there is just about an equal amount of day and night.
She has a couple ideas for people who want to create some special looking lanterns. A group can make fish lanterns out of paper mache or pop bottles so it could look like a school of fish. People can also wear old Halloween costumes and deck them out in lights. Even bringing a toy lightsabre is a great idea, she said.
If people are stuck on ideas, how-to videos online can be a great way to spark inspiration, she said in a follow-up text message.
With all the serious and stressful things going on in the world right now she sees the Lantern Parade as a moment where the community can come together to be joyful, fun and silly.
“You know this is about leaving judgment at the door and allowing yourself the freedom to just embrace the enjoyment of it,” said De Vuono.
