light up your night

One of the best events of the year in Vancouver happens this weekend. The Illuminares Lantern Procession lights up the night at Trout Lake Park on Saturday.

Here's how it works: A bunch of people make some lanterns, go out to a park and mill around.

But here's what really happens: You get insipired. You craft it up and you get paper mache' goop all over the floor or get rice paper stuck all over your hands. You rush around looking for a lighter to illuminate your lantern candle with. Then you go outside on a beautiful summer night and wander around gazing at other people's creations, becoming even more inspired and awestruck and happy. You say, "Oooh! Look at that one!" about a kazillion times. You watch the fire dancers and think how amazing they are, and maybe you should take that hoola hooping class after all. (The actual fire part can wait though.) You leave thinking that Vancouver is full of beautiful, talented, creative people, and here they all were, all in one park on one night, milling around.

If that sounds good to you, you should be there. Here are the deets:

Illuminares Lantern Procession
Trout Lake Park Victoria Drive & 15th Avenue
July 29, 2006 - 7 – 11 pm (procession @ 9pm)
Free event - Donations Welcomed

This year I'm not actually making a lantern - which is too bad, but July has been a pretty busy month. The photos here are from the lantern making party my friend and I hosted last year, plus the last year's lantern maze.