Celebrating its 21st Anniversary, the Lismore Lantern Parade is an annual community arts festival held on or around the longest night of the year, being the Winter Solstice.
Attracting in excess of 30,000 people each year, the festival celebrates community, art and nature with arts, crafts, workshops, regional cuisine, a spectacular parade, lanterns, parade bands, street theatre, music, carnival dancers, illuminated puppets, fire art and pyrotechnics.
“Lanterns, fire and outdoor celebration are deeply embedded in many cultures from China, Japan, Burma and Vietnam to Europe and Africa,” says Jyllie Jackson, Artistic Director, Lismore Lantern Parade.
“The lantern represents a positive metaphor for community optimism and hope throughout the world and it was from this tradition that the Lismore Lantern Parade was born.”
Celebrating 21 years of bringing light to the heart of Lismore with the theme ‘Love a Parade – Festivals of the World’, the Lismore Lantern Parade joins other iconic festivals around the world that celebrates amazing, crazy, wild and wonderful processions that are loved by millions.
Throughout the day, market stalls and entertainment occupy the heart of the Lismore CBD, culminating in the dazzling parade through the streets and the mesmerising fiery finale at Oakes Oval. The spectacular larger than life lanterns are created at the LightnUp workshop in the months leading up to the event amid much fun and community involvement.
The 2015 Lismore Lantern Parade is held on Saturday 20 June. For more information, visit: www.lanternparade.com for details.
Image: Lismore Lantern Parade – photo by Natsky