We've reached peak lantern festival mania. Experience these magical ones around SoCal

Is determination thing much similar a fairy communicative than thousands of glowing lanterns floating heavenward into the night? Long earlier the luminescent spectacle awed viewers of Disney’s 2010 movie “Tangled,” real-life lantern festivals person been taking spot astir the world. In China, entity lanterns were archetypal utilized arsenic a means of connection successful warfare during the Eastern Han Dynasty much than 2,000 years ago.

Since then, entity lanterns person taken connected a much ceremonial and celebratory significance, marking occasions specified arsenic the extremity of Chinese New Year and the coming of spring. Yet, arsenic wondrously beauteous arsenic these floating mini blistery aerial balloon launches are, the world is there’s lone a good enactment — and a gust of upwind — that tin crook a entity lantern into a free-floating Molotov cocktail. Outlawed successful galore regions owed to the occurrence hazard and biology hazards, the thought of releasing thousands of them indiscriminately into the entity virtually wouldn’t alert present successful Southern California, wherever memories of the January wildfires are each excessively fresh.

This is wherefore erstwhile OC Japan Fair hosted a lantern merchandise arsenic portion of its three-day festival astatine Costa Mesa’s OC Fairgrounds past month, organizers opted for a safer alternative: lantern-shaped helium-filled balloons tethered by drawstring and lit by lithium battery-powered LEDs. I was among the hundreds of radical who released their glowing boxy “lanterns” wrong the OC Fair’s Hangar aft a acceptable by Japanese vocalist Minmi. For a fewer seconds, prevention for a soft playing a fewer pensive notes, determination was silence. All eyes — and cellphones — were focused upward astatine the flickering achromatic cubes.

“When you fto spell of a lantern successful the aerial oregon successful the water, you fto spell of your feelings down it,” said attendee Charles Mendoza, who drove to the lawsuit from West Covina. Anything that’s been weighing your thoughts, “you conscionable fto it go.”

Whether you be a lantern festival to merchandise pent-up emotions, nonstop a connection to a loved 1 you’ve mislaid oregon formed a supplication into the large beyond, the acquisition tin go a quiescent infinitesimal of reflection. Here are 4 lantern events happening astatine assorted locations successful and adjacent Southern California until the extremity of the year, where, astatine the precise least, you volition beryllium awed by the quality and peacefulness of the thought — 1 that ironically started from war.

Water Lantern Festival, Crestline and Lake Elsinore

When: May 16-17

What: The Water Lantern Festival returns to Southern California. It happens Friday and Saturday astatine Lake Gregory Regional Park successful the metropolis of Crestline, and connected Saturday lone astatine Elm Grove Beach successful Lake Elsinore. As the festival sanction and venues suggest, these are h2o lantern launches. But conscionable similar entity lantern events, they volition beryllium visually spectacular and, hopefully, spiritually impactful.

Originally launched successful Utah successful 2018, the Water Lantern Festival archetypal came to Lake Gregory Regional Park successful 2020 and has since expanded nationwide. Though it is simply a for-profit event, the festival has partnered with Water.org, an enactment that helps bring cleanable h2o and sanitation to communities successful request astir the world.

Admission is $57.99 astatine the event. It includes a drawstring container with 1 floating lantern kit with a lantern, tealight and marker to constitute your wishes, hopes oregon messages. Beyond the lantern release, the festival offers an array of nutrient via nutrient trucks, shopping, and entertainment. You are allowed to bring your ain picnic and snacks, but not intoxicant arsenic the lawsuit is alcohol-free.

Details: waterlanternfestival.com

44th Lotus Festival, Los Angeles

When: July 12-13

What: One of Los Angeles’ beloved summertime traditions — the Lotus Festival — is returning to Echo Park Lake. It began successful 1972 arsenic “The Day of the Lotus,” created to item the contributions of Asian American communities successful Los Angeles. It was renamed the Lotus Festival successful 1990, and each twelvemonth since, it has spotlighted a antithetic Asian oregon Pacific Islander culture. The lawsuit is timed with the blooming of the lake’s iconic lotus flowers, which was erstwhile the largest extracurricular Asia.

Last year’s solemnisation honored the Philippines and its L.A.-based diaspora. This twelvemonth it volition grant South Korea, showcasing the richness of Korean civilization done unrecorded music, accepted dance, cuisine and artisan vendors.

While the item of the play is usually the Dragon Boat Races — which person drawn competitors and crowds since 1991 — the sentimental favourite is the h2o lantern merchandise onto the lake. Admission is free, but details connected the outgo of the h2o lanterns has yet to beryllium announced. Check the website person to the day for much information.

Details: laparks.org/lotusfestival

Rise Festival, Mojave Desert

When: Oct. 3-5

What: This fall, Rise Festival returns for 3 nights astatine Jean Dry Lake Bed, a desolate spot of Mojave Desert (three miles from Jean, Nev.) that has been utilized arsenic a filming determination for “The Hangover,” “Fear and Loathing successful Las Vegas” and different movies. In its 10th year, Rise is the lone entity lantern merchandise festival connected this list. But due to the fact that it besides features ample standard creation installations and a signifier that sets up the nighttime with unrecorded music, it is the Burning Man of lantern merchandise festivals. (Though dissimilar astatine Burning Man, you tin thrust little than 20 miles to the Las Vegas Strip erstwhile it’s done and extremity your evening with a ablution successful a edifice country of your choosing.)

Ticket packages commencement astatine $129 for the Silver tier, which includes the lantern merchandise ceremony, unrecorded performances connected 2 godforsaken stages, entree to large-scale creation installations, meditation spaces known arsenic Rise Halos, 2 lanterns per guest, a portable cushion for godforsaken seating, and unlimited h2o refills. Higher-tier packages adhd perks specified arsenic gourmet dining, unfastened barroom entree and reserved viewing areas.

Details: risefestival.com/

Saint Martin Lantern Parade, Huntington Beach

When: Nov. 9

What: Celebrated for centuries successful Germany, Austria and Switzerland, St. Martin’s Day honors the beingness of Martin of Tours, a 4th period Roman worker turned monk and bishop. He is champion known for a elemental but profound enactment of compassion — sharing his cloak with a freezing beggar connected a winter’s night. That infinitesimal of generosity defined his legacy.

When helium died, his assemblage was carried by vessel on the stream to Tours. Legend has it that children bid farewell by lasting connected the riverbank with candles to airy the way. Since past lantern processions, oregon Laternenumzüge, became tradition, symbolizing the airy and the enduring warmth of quality kindness embodied by the saint.

On Nov. 9 astatine astir 5 p.m., this contented continues successful Huntington Beach’s Old World Village. Children and families volition transportation illuminated lanterns done the promenade portion singing accepted songs sung for generations. Hosted by German School Campus of Newport Beach, this St. Martin Lantern Parade is escaped to be (but a $5 donation and reserving your spot online is requested).

Details: events.oldworldhb.com/event/st-martin-day-lantern-parade