Firelight Lantern Festival

A two-night lantern festival is coming to Ontario this week

Picton, Ontario will be lighting up the night sky next month with the annual Firelight Lantern Festival, this time with a special twist.

The Department of Illumination has announced that this year, the festival will include a special anniversary edition for the first time ever.

The two night arts and music festival kicks off on Nov. 4 with food, booze, dancing, perfomances and experiential art installations including a feature performance by Kingston's experimental folkestra The Gertrudes.

On Nov. 5 the festival will feature its beloved lantern parade for all ages starting in Benson Park. The parade will make its way down to The Crystal Palace via Main Street, where Bangerz Brass, Toronto's hip-hop brass band will take the mainstage. 

Artists Nella Casson, Krista Dalby, Chrissy Poitras, Tim Snyder and Kyle Topping will be animating the site with giant lantern puppert that will follow the festival's theme, The Enchanted Forest. 

Both nights will have performances from indivuduals such as Imagicario, a muitformated puppert master, shadow puppetry provided by Birdbone Theatre, and festival favourites from Peterborough, Trellis Arts who are circus performers. 

Festival-goers are invited to wear whatever wacky outfit they can come up with- especially if it's illuminated.

DJ Ombudsman will be providing the festival with beats to keep everyone dancing and moving.

Tickets for the festival are $20 for adults and $5 for those under the age of 19.

Lead photo by

The Department of Illumination


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