Experience your very own magical lantern release with this lantern festival guide.
When I first watched the movie, Tangled, I was in awe by the floating lantern scene. I always wished I could experience that in person. I was so excited to discover Night Lights Lantern Festival events, which recreates this fun experience in locations around the country! And it’s every bit as dreamy as in the movie.
History of the Lantern Festival
This enchanting tradition is based off of the Thai Festival of Light. People gather to light and release their lanterns—symbolizing letting go of the bad and welcoming in the new.
But now, you don’t have to go to Thailand to experience the magic—Night Lights offers several events each year at various locations throughout the United States.
What to expect at the Lantern Festival
The lantern festivals are typically held in a venue that can accommodate a large, open area. The one we attended in Tooele, Utah was at a motorsports park in a big dirt/gravel “field”. There’s plenty of room to spread out and really enjoy the time together with your group.
Your ticket includes a lantern and marker so you can decorate your lantern while waiting for release time. Kids’ tickets also include some fun goodies like glow sticks or sunglasses. Extra lanterns can be purchased as well if you need more.
Since outside food isn’t typically allowed, the venue will bring in food trucks. Entertainment is also provided. We listened to some fun bands, and you could buy s’mores kits to roast some marshmallows. We were told there would be a “kids’ zone”, but there wasn’t. Not sure if it was a covid thing or if that’s been discontinued.
There’s quite a bit of waiting til it gets dark enough to launch the lanterns, so be prepared for that. You can decorate your lanterns, play games, enjoy the entertainment, etc. while waiting. The event host will lead the crowd as to when to release the lanterns, and also gives instructions on how to do it. So just listen and you’ll be fine!
One thing to keep in mind is to wait longer than you think you need to before letting go of your lighted lantern. It needs to fill up with hot air all the way or it won’t rise. Seriously, hang onto it for much longer than you think you need to.
When thousands of lanterns rise, it really is a magical experience you won’t forget.
What to bring to the Lantern Festival
Since the festival is held in a large, open area, you’ll want to bring camp chairs to sit on. Depending on the venue, blankets might also be fine, but ours was on gravel so a blanket wasn’t very comfortable.
You’ll be provided with one marker per lantern, but you can always bring your own markers to decorate your lanterns.
There’s often a bit of a wait til release time, so bringing card games or other activities to help pass the time is a good idea.
And make sure to bring jackets, hats, gloves, etc. It can get chilly once the sun goes down!
And, not to worry! This event does not harm the environment. The event organizers said, “Our mission is to leave each venue cleaner than we found it — this means that our team heads out after each event with the mission of collecting every single lantern. We also clean up any trash we find along the way.”
This really was such a dreamy experience for my family. Everyone was in awe at the thousands of lanterns that lit the sky that night. There are a few different companies that put on these events in the U.S. Check out Night Lights Events, Rise Festival, or Lights Fest to see if you’ve got one close by. If so, it’s definitely an experience not to miss!
Who’s been to a lantern festival? What did you think?
So beautiful! I’d love to attend a lantern festival.
This looks really magical and enchanting!
Oh! I bet it’s even more magical then in the movie 🥰. I think it’s a great activity to take my kids to.
Yes, my kids loved it!
What an amazing experience this would be! We have released a lantern for our daughters’ birthday… but thousands at once must look magical!
What a fun birthday thing to do!
This would be amazing! What a great experience!
It totally is! Hopefully there’s one near you!
What a beautiful experience! I’d love to be a part of something like that. I didn’t know this was a thing!
Yes, it’s so fun! Seriously, one of my favorite experiences.
Oh my! I need to do this!!
Yes, you do! It’s amazing!