Water Lantern Festival
Hundreds gathered at the Water Lantern Festival in Aurora to watch the darkness turn to light.
The goal of the event is to bring everyone together, no matter your age or background. Some people were there for solace with a personal struggle, while others wished to enjoy time with their family.
The event was inspired by Asian culture and its history of water lantern festivals.
“The owners of the company kind of saw that and were really moved, so they wanted to create an event to encompass that culture, but also make it more Americanized,” said Rachel Thompson, administrative assistant of the festival.
Decorating Lanterns
The community-centered event kicked off with music, food, games, and of course – decorating water lanterns. Both kids and adults took the time to decorate their lanterns with hearts, flowers, quotes, and more.
“So I got this thing from a book, where there was this girl who followed a life coach and the girl said ‘everyday is a good day for a taco,’ so I wrote it down,” said 9-year-old Alexis Sardo.
“I wrote ‘let it go’ and then I also wrote ‘love and awareness.’ I think they’re very important and it’s something that we’re physically doing here is letting go so it really means a lot to me,” said attendee Sara Curtin.
Lantern Take-Off
And once the sun went down, it was time to let the lanterns go and watch as their light gleamed on the surface of the water.
“The launch really is the most peaceful thing and it’s really beautiful,” said Thompson. “A lot of people put a lot of time into the lanterns that they decorate and so to see them release those on the water, it’s really unique and it’s a beautiful thing to watch and experience.”
This is the second year of the Water Lantern Festival. If you missed it this time around, there will be another in Chicago on July 20.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
