Photo by Jen Connic.

For hundreds of years, there have been lantern festivals in Thailand. There are two, but the one that features krathongs (water lanterns)—is called Loi Krathong, which in 2019 will take place November 13. There are many stories behind the centuries-old festival’s origins, but it’s meant to thank the Water Goddess for a successful rice harvest (read more about that here: https://www.discoverydcode.com/dcode/articles/how-to-enjoy-thailand-water-latern-festival/)

Just so you can get an idea of how many lanterns were around the edge of the lake. Photo by Nathan Schoonover.

Here in the US, many set water lanterns afloat for personal reasons: make a wish, say a prayer, honor a loved one. In response, water lantern festival companies produce events across the country—and they are happening everywhere throughout the year. To see a video of what it’s like, you can watch Water Lantern Festival’s promotional film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLaJA7xAFtg

You can find an event near you, order tickets and more at the website here: https://www.waterlanternfestival.com/ You can also see if the company 1000 Lights is presenting one nearby: https://www.1000lights.com/

In February, I found out about an event on the other side of town, happening in May. I corralled some friends, and made the plans! All in all, it was a lovely evening.

There were games set up for people to play, food trucks and a drink tent, music, and Rapunzel showed up for photo opportunities (if you know the movie Tangled, then you’ll understand why she was there). There was a guided meditation over the loudspeakers for those who wanted to participate as we got closer to launch hour. There were also some vendors selling jewelry and the like, and the Water Lantern Festival store kiosk was selling cool blankets, hoodies, bags, and an assortment of glowing things, like flower crowns (my friend Jen and I couldn’t resist those). In the interests of promoting togetherness and peace, there was a scavanger hunt which encouraged people to talk to strangers and ask them questions (which was really cool, but not too many knew about it–they should have put the slips in the bags with the lanterns). Although it was kind of late for young children, the spirit of the crowd was genuinely friendly and courteous.

Here’s a photo tour of our evening.

This banner marked the entrance to Ives Concert Park, which is located on WestConn’s Westside Campus.

If you go, be sure to order your tickets online in advance. You’ll save a few dollars, and your check-in will go much more smoothly.

My entrance wrist band (with the design on it), a yellow wristband (I’m over 21 and can drink if I wish), and a gorgeous amethyst and peridot bracelet that my friend Pam, who came to the event, gave me.

The basic ticket includes a cinch sack…I got just plain old blue, but as the night went on, I saw people with aqua and green and all sorts of interesting colors.

The water lantern kit came with each admission. Included was the lantern itself (don’t worry–extremely easy to assemble), a small souvenir marker, and an LED flicker light to set into your lantern.

You can see the crowd across the lake…even though there were hefty online pre-sales, I think they may have gotten killed with walk-ins at the last minute. I’ve never seen the Ives Concert Park so crowded. Photo by Jen Connic.

The wooden base for the lantern. Sticks go into the holes at the four corners, and the LED light goes in the middle.

This is the lantern’s paper sleeve on which you draw or write whatever you like; it opens like a box, and when you’re done, you simply slide it over the four sticks in the corners.

The festival was also about promoting feeling good about yourself as well as others. Signs like this were everywhere.

A few of the food trucks.

We just kept walking around the lake until we ended up here, but we didn’t really reserve enough space. Next year we’re getting there early and spreading out.

Rob, his wife, Jen, and their daughter Charlotte arrive for the festival.

From left, Rob, Emily, Charlotte, and Jen get settled. With everyone flooding in, it was difficult to save space, so we got squished. We learned for next year.

My friend Pam lucked out…she asked for a purple bag and got this pretty rose-colored one!

Me and Nathan grab a selfie.

Jen and I couldn’t resist these rose crowns! Photo by Jen Connic.

I waited in line for wine while Jen went off in search of food. She was going to get fries, but then I got a text from her with THERE ARE LOBSTER TOTS rendered in all caps. So, yeah, that’s what we ate! They were great! Chalk one up for ‘clever things to do with cheap-ass tater tots that will make you look like you spent a million.’ Photo by Jen Connic.

DECORATING OUR LANTERNS

Nathan gets ready to decorate his lantern.

Nathan practiced on scratch paper (actually, he said he was making stencils) before drawing on the real thing.

Nathan’s lantern

Nathan holds up his lantern.

Awww!! My husband put that he loves me forever on his lantern!! I LOVE THIS!! In case you’re wondering, the stuff on the top stands for “Worshipful Master Nathan D. Schoonover 2019,” which is a reference to the Masonic Lodge, where he is worshipful master this year.

Pam made a lantern in honor of her late father.

Sometimes, Jen really hates having her picture taken.

These wooded paths connect the lake. They’re quite beautiful, just don’t go back there after dark without a flashlight. I went back there to find a quiet place to decorate my lantern. I ended up chatting with a bunch of people, which made my friends joke when I had disappeared for a while that I was “writing the great American novel” on my lantern.

Remember my friends joking that I was writing “the great American novel”? Well, they were close–I DID start a short story.

Panel 2 of my lantern.

Don’t ask me what the 9,855 day thing is about, because I have no idea. I had to fill the page up after that, so I decided to write out Frost’s “Stopping by Woods,” since that’s my favorite poem of all time.

Panel 4 of my lantern. I had to finish the poem.

Pam and her lit lantern, which honors her late father.

Jen and her lit lantern.

Michele and her lit lantern. Photo by Jen Connic.

Me and Panel 1 of my lantern, which has the opening of a short story that’s been kicking around in my head since the beginning of April. Photo by Jen Connic.

Jen and the girls. It was a little bit of a balancing act because we were in a tight space, but we made it work.

Charlotte takes a break…let’s face it, she was only interested in the cream in the middle of that Whoopie Pie. But the real reason I included this photo is because it really looks like it was taken in the 1970s.

The girls got glowy things.

My lantern, panel 1, lit.

Emily contemplates her glowing toy while, across the lake, lanterns are being lit. Photo by Jen Connic.

Jen clowns around. Photo by Jen Connic.

My lantern, panel 2, lit.

My lantern, panel 3, lit.

My lantern, panel 4, lit.

Nathan’s lantern, panel 1, lit.

Nathan’s lantern, panel 2, lit.

Nathan’s lantern, panel 3, lit.

Nathan’s lantern, panel 4, lit.

Michele’s lantern, lit.

Michele’s lantern, lit.

The small lights provided in the kits didn’t always work. Here, Nathan works his magic with Jen M’s–and manages to fix it.

As darkness fell, many people set their lanterns around their camping areas to provide light (Ives Concert Park, in some areas, is dark because it’s not lit).

Michele’s lantern lights a corner of our camp area.

My lantern also lights a corner of the camp area.

THE LANTERN LAUNCH

Jen and Emily pose for a photo with the girls’ lanterns.

Charlotte and Emily are ready to put their lanterns on the lake.

My lantern joins so many others…

Lanterns float peacefully on the water. Photo by Jen Connic.

Jen’s photo joins others on the lake’s surface. Photo by Jen Connic.

Nathan’s lantern on the water. Photo by Nathan Schoonover.

Photo by Nathan Schoonover.

If you go…

1 Buy your tickets online in advance—preferably right when they are released, about three to four months ahead of the festival date. They are the least expensive at this time (they go up in price as the event approaches). Also, buying them at the door is a serious hassle and a time-waster—I saw the cluster that was in the line the next to me. Having the pre-printed tickets in your hand makes your check-in efficient.

2 Treat this event like you would any outdoor concert. Depending on your venue, I’d make sure you’d bring the following:

Lawn chairs/blankets to sit on

Trash Bags

Bug Spray

Flashlights

Wet Ones/Wipes

3 You’re only given one small marker in your kit. If you want to go nuts, bring medium-point Sharpies so everyone has a choice of colors. I will say, though, that the colors don’t really matter. Once the things are lit up and on the water, everything looks black anyway.

4 Arrive early, and stake out a spot large enough for your party to have breathing room. We really got crammed in because we didn’t reserve enough space. It was shoulder to shoulder, we could barely balance anything, and drinks and food got spilled everywhere. Again, arrive right as the doors open and spread out.

5 Lots of special things happened during our event. There was an engagement, a graduation celebration and the commemoration of an anniversary. Consider celebrating something magical!

ENJOY THE WATER LANTERN FESTIVAL!

Photo by Nathan Schoonover.

PS…If you’re in Danbury: Ives Concert Park Tips

I firmly believe the if you’re prepared, small hiccups won’t ruin your good time, so here goes. There were some venue-specific issues with this event (I’ve been to Ives Concert Park in Danbury before, and honestly, these are problems I see over and over again. Every time I go there, it’s like the first time they’ve ever done anything. I don’t get it). If you’re in Danbury and do this next year, then this part of the post is for you.

1 There are nowhere near enough trash cans, so people leave garbage everywhere. Bring trash bags.

2 The pathways to get around the lake are completely in the dark—this particular venue has lovely paths, but they are full of roots and vines and uneven ground, as well as mud (this is Connecticut. It’s a muddy hole). Bring a flashlight, or use a cell phone flashlight.

3 There was only one spot, it seemed (if there were more, I didn’t see them), to launch the lanterns, and it wasn’t very large, nor was it convenient. I hope they will choose other spots along the lake so people aren’t bottle-necking all at one spot. Advice: either try to be near the placement location so that you can set your lantern at the top of the hour, then head back and enjoy watching the rest of the process, OR, wait until the bottom of the hour, so you can sit and enjoy the sight of all the lanterns and then have barely any competition for a spot to set your lantern in the water. However, it was EXCELLENT that they had at least one volunteer at the spot to help those who couldn’t make it to the waterline (it was muddy, on a slope, and slick) put their lanterns in, and also, it was great that she had a pole and could push the lanterns out into the lake.

4 The line at the alcohol tent took forever, and this was because they were, simply, offering too many pours they had to make by hand: mimosas, gin and tonics, whiskey sours. Honestly, at an event like this with only one tent, the only booze that should be served is ready-made, hand-out-quickly type stuff: small wine bottles that don’t need to be poured, beers in cans, and perhaps wine coolers or pre-made mixed drinks. I’d suggest you drink before you leave your house or just skip the drinking unless you want to wait for almost 40 minutes for a glass of wine.

5 Because there is no picnicking allowed, if you’re hungry, you’re forced to deal with the food trucks–and the lines are ridiculous. No, this isn’t because of tons of people. This is because there are too few food trucks to handle the number of people, and these food trucks offer, again, way too much variety with specialized cooking times for such a large event (each truck should offer one or two items at a huge event like this, max, but then again, we’re not in a city like Austin or Miami here, so I guess these trucks don’t know any better). I’d suggest eating dinner before you leave your house so you can simply enjoy your night.