This September, thousands of glowing lanterns will once again light up the night at Toronto’s Downsview Park.
The Water Lantern Festival is returning from September 18 through 20, and it’s the perfect way to mark the transition from summer into those crisp, cozy fall evenings.
Before the launch, each guest will receive a festival kit with an eco-friendly LED lantern and markers so they can decorate it with wishes, messages, memories, or tributes to someone special. As the sun begins to set, the thousands of illuminated lanterns will be sent floating across the water, creating a dreamy sea of flickering lights.
Once the lanterns hit the water, the personalized lights come together to create a stunning shared display, and a pretty unforgettable backdrop as day turns to night.
There’s plenty happening before the big launch, too. Guests can grab a bite from local food trucks, listen to live music, browse local vendors, take part in a scavenger hunt, and spend time decorating their lanterns ahead of the evening’s main event.
With a strong emphasis on keeping the celebration environmentally friendly, all of the lanterns used during the event are eco-friendly, and organizers say they retrieve 100 per cent of the lanterns from the water once the festival wraps up.
The Toronto Water Lantern Festival is taking over Downsview Park at 70 Canuck Ave. from September 18 to 20. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., while the lantern launch is scheduled between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. You can find more details here on their website.
