Celebrate the beginning of spring by creating your own handmade lantern and lighting up the night in an annual parade held in Toronto’s east end.
The Light It Up 2024 festival, presented by Shadowland Theatre, Workman Arts, and East End Arts, was created ahead of Spring Equinox where the community welcomes back light and warmth. Bring your family and friends and enjoy an evening of bright lights and special connections.
In an interview with Now Toronto, East End Arts Communications Manager Chelsea Virginia shares the origins of the program.
“The program was born during the first winter of the pandemic…and then, it’s now morphed into more of an in-person component where we actually come together, we make lanterns, and we march together through Dentonia Park to have a bit of a celebration to bring in the Spring Equinox,” she said.
This is the fourth consecutive year the festival has taken place and it has easily become a favourite amongst East End Arts and the local community. However, visitors and tourists are highly encouraged to come and revel in the festivities.
She emphasizes that the lantern workshops and parade are open and welcome to all people and visitors of different cultural and religious backgrounds.
Participants can also create their own lanterns at home with the help of East End Arts’ tutorials, or even join the parade without a lantern.
Essentially, the event is about making personal connections, getting to know the community and learning about the unique stories they have to tell, all while making beautiful lanterns.
“…I feel like a lot of what we see in the lantern designs, obviously a lot of color, because we’re all missing it. It’s very dark gray and brown outside. A lot of love-inspired, nature-inspired themes. I think the idea really is anything that brings people joy, they seem to put on their lantern, because it really does just light up when they put the oil in and then they put the light in it and it comes to life,” she said.
Although the lantern workshops are now sold out, organizers are encouraging people to create their lanterns at home and bring them to the Light It Up parade on Mar. 17 at Dentonia Park, located at 80 Thyra Ave.
Virginia says they are anticipating the parade to be their largest yet because of how popular the event has become.
“We’re going to not only have the marching band, and do the parade, but there’s also going to be a community fire. There’s going to be hot chocolate. What better way to, again, celebrate the goodbye of winter, not that we hate winter, but we’re happy that it’s over, and days are becoming longer and brighter,” she said.
On parade day, organizers are asking people to bring their one-of-a-kind lanterns and meet at 7:15 p.m. prior to when the sun goes down near the parking lot in Dentonia Park. The group will then march down to the park before gathering around a fire and enjoying some hot chocolate.
Afterwards, when it becomes dusk, everyone will hold their lanterns up high to produce a sea of beautifully lit lights.
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