The 25th annual Lantern Festival will be taking place on Friday, December 21st and will be centred around the communities of Granville Island and Yaletown. Every year, the festival consists of a series of community events that mark the winter solstice with music, food, lanterns, and fire. It’s a great way to get into the spirit of the season and to spend some quality time with friends and family.

Many different cultural traditions are honoured at the Lantern Festival every year, as it is all about how the movement of the sun and the earth have inspired humanity across time and across the globe. The festival has a community-focused and family-friendly atmosphere that makes everyone feel welcome.

Attending the festival is completely free, though a few venues are ticketed and donations are always welcome because they go towards keeping the festival running. There is a suggested donation of $5 per person if you are able.

Though the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival technically begins at 6 pm on December 21st, you can get a head start on all of the festivities early at Ocean Art Works on Granville Island. On the 20th and 21st from 12 pm to 6 pm, you can watch as artist Yoko Tomita creates a special 25th festival anniversary Sun Lantern. On the 21st, you can also take a free workshop to make your own lantern for one or more of the many festival lantern processions.

There will be three Granville Island lantern processions. The first will leave at 6 pm from Leg-In-Boot Square, the second will leave Triangle Square at 6:20 pm, and the third will leave False Creek Community Centre at 9:15 pm. There will also be two Yaletown lantern processions, with the first leaving The Gathering Place at 6 pm and the second leaving Roundhouse Community Centre at 8 pm following a lantern-making workshop.

Indoor activities will be taking place at Performance Works, False Creek Community Centre, and Roundhouse Community Centre from 6 pm to 10 pm. Make sure to visit either Performance Works or the Roundhouse if you want to check out the Labyrinth of Light set up at each location. The Labyrinth of Light is a maze-like pattern on the floor made up of more than 600 beeswax candles intended to encourage a meditative state of mind.

There will also be two spectacular Fire Finales at 9:30 pm featuring music and fire performances to close off the night. One will take place in Ron Basford Park and the other at Roundhouse Turntable Plaza.

The short, dark days of winter can be tough for many people. Come fight the winter blues with some fun activities on the eve of the winter solstice and celebrate the fact that the days will now only be getting longer. The Annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival is the place to be on this special night.