Celebrating 29 years of bringing light to the heart of Lismore – the Lismore Lantern Parade is an annual community arts festival held on or around the longest night of the year, 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.
The theme this year is Gates of Renewal – which reflects the history of the lantern parade which celebrates Winter Solstice, the change from the longest nights to the return of the sun – known as liminal space, where optimism and magic happen.
LightnUp Inc, producers of the annual Lismore Lantern Parade, hopes the event will bring positivity and happiness to our community – moving forward with renewed hope and energy. Many in the region are still doing it tough after the great floods of 2022.
Each year the Lantern Parade involves participants from Lismore, throughout the Northern Rivers and visitors to the region who have attended workshops in lantern, mask and costume making.
School and community workshops start at Easter each year with many other volunteers travelling from across the Northern Rivers region, South East Queensland, around NSW, South Australia and Victoria to participate in this event.
LightnUp Inc is widely recognised for their expertise in lantern making, spectacular event production and staging. With creative direction from its founder, Jyllie Jackson OAM, LightnUp Inc hires lanterns, produce specially commissioned work and develop lantern parades and events for communities across Australia.
In 2023, the event will be held on Saturday 24 June – commencing at noon with a unique art and craft market, street food vans, children’s activities, a youth hub, workshops, lantern decorating and a festival stage featuring local musicians and dancers.
Write a Love Letter to the River or a Wish for Lismore! under the Heart in Magellan Street, or take time to wander around the Lismore CBD and delight at the lovely Enchanted Windows and themed eateries.
At dusk the fabulous Lanterneers assemble in Magellan Street outside the Library and depart through the Heart of the City to Magellan Street, Market Street and along Victoria Street through the Gates of Renewal and into Riverside Park for a fiery theatrical finale , that includes a bonfire and a fireworks display.
The 2023 Lismore Lantern Parade will be held on Saturday 24 June. For more information and program overview, visit: www.lismorelanternparade.com.au for details.
Image: Lismore Lantern Parade – photo by Natsky