Event Spotlight: NYC Winter Lantern Festival

  • By Lindsay Biondy | Thursday, December 5th, 2019
Event Spotlight: NYC Winter Lantern Festival

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the NYC Winter Lantern Festival invites you to step into a whimsical world of light, now until January 12. The NYC Winter Lantern Festival transforms Staten Island’s Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden into a winter wonderland with over 1,000 lanterns on display, sculpted into awe-inspiring luminescent art. With eight acres of lights, live cultural shows, and interactive exhibits, your whole family will find something to enjoy!

The team behind the NYC Winter Lantern Festival strives to provide a large platform for artists and craftsmen to display and sell their work, and this lantern festival is one of their most exciting events. The Chinese tradition of lantern making has been passed down through generations, dating as far back as the Eastern Han Dynasty in 25 AD. Fast forward to 2019, to where a team of designers are presenting their own take on these iconic lanterns!

Every year, the NYC Winter Lantern Festival features a brand new display of magnificently sculpted lanterns, including giant flowers, dragons, pandas, jellyfish, and so much more. And in between marveling at these works of art, you can enjoy a wide range of cultural performances, including plate and bowl spinning, seesaw bowl balance, hoop tumbling, and even a sub-genre of Chinese Sichuan Opera where performers wear vibrant costumes and magically swap opera masks from one to another. 

And what would any amazing festival be without plenty of activities and food to complete the experience? Enjoy the Holiday Skating Rink under the festival’s glistening lanterns. Check out the gift shop, filled with pieces from local artists and craftsmen who specialize in Chinese- influenced lanterns. Then eat your fill will tons of international food, like the Lantern Burger, panda paws, poke and chive dumplings, maison crepes, and so much more. You can even reserve a spot in Snug Harbor’s Great Hall to enjoy a holiday-styled open bar!

This festival is the perfect way to celebrate the season, so gather your friends and family, and reserve your tickets to the NYC Winter Lantern Festival today!