Jennifer Witvliet had done sea lantern festivals in the past. She worked on a festival for the multicultural association in downtown Victoria.
But as a Sidney resident, she wanted a lantern walk for the children in her community.
Her idea turned into the ArtSea Community Arts Council’s Salish Sea Lantern Festival. Running Aug. 21 to 25, before wrapping up with an Aug. 26 evening lantern walk parade, this year’s event will mark its 10th anniversary.
Kari Frazer had heard of the festival before she started working at ArtSea. She’s the public relations coordinator, and knew about the lantern-making event well in advance.
“It’s just so famous,” she said.
She made it clear that this is a community event, featuring intricately decorated lanterns and beautifully creative costumes. The community is gearing up for this year’s festival, not only because it’s the 10th anniversary, but because it’s the first since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re just expanding in the pre-event things,” said Frazer.
The festival revolves around art with ocean themes, especially mythical creatures like mermaids and sea monsters. There are also installations set up by ArtSea outside the aquarium of squids and jellyfish.
“The week leading up to (the lantern walk) the whole downtown and the area where the festival is held will have installations of jellyfish and squids and things like that,” said Frazer.
One of the new things they’re doing this year is partnering with the Panorama Recreation Centre and selling $10 lantern kits. If people return their kits before the Aug. 26 event, their lanterns will be hanging in the lobby for everyone to see.
“That’s cool,” said Frazer. “That’s just one way the community just keeps coming together.”
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Frazer said that this event brings people together, and reflects the culture of the community.
“People feeling as one and feeling a sense of belonging and a real love for their community around them,” said Frazer. “So this is just a wonderful one of the highlights, I think, of the year to bring people together.”
Before Aug. 26, ArtSea hosts a series of creative workshops, including an adult fish lantern workshop, balloon paper maché workshop, a paper bag workshop, and more. There are also behind-the-scenes tours, where anyone can come see the progress of the sea lantern festival. These tours take place every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on Fourth Avenue.
“They’ve got a space there and they just create and it’s just opened so you can just come, ask questions, pitch in and help make some lanterns and costumes,” said Frazer.
“The stuff they’re creating out of scraps and things they picked up at thrift stores and those wire tomato cages for gardens— it’s amazing.”
The event starts at Beacon Park in Sidney at 6:30 p.m. with stage entertainment. The lantern procession itself begins at 8:30 p.m.
Frazer is most excited to see the creative lanterns and costumes made by the community.
“I get excited when people go off the charts their creativity with a dressed-up character along with the lantern maybe attached to the body,” said Frazer.
“One person had lit up costume with a lit-up octopus hanging their head in their back with their legs hanging down.”
For more information on the event, as well as lantern-making tutorial videos, check out the ArtSea website.
