The Lantern Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden
Lantern Festival - Magic Reimagined
Attending the Lantern Festival in St. Louis Missouri
I had heard of the Lantern Festival for quite some time before I ever had the chance to attend. Well our time finally came this last year. I was so excited, and we finally picked a day to go. It is a great excuse to go to St. Louis and a great time to pick up some food from one of our favorite restaurants, Anthonino's, on the Hill.
We got there before the sun had totally set, which was my intention. I have found I enjoy getting photos during the dusk, when my camera can capture things correctly. The sky can look so beautiful. So as you can see, some of my pictures are before it gets totally dark. Of course, the lights of the lanterns look best up against the darkness. I hope you can get a real feel for our experience there.
In short, you will see examples of different themes and moments in history, commemorated. What is really neat about this festival, is that many different companies and organizations help to make such a massive event possible. It seems they spare no expense or effort to make the event very remarkable. To do that, however, one needs funding to do so. One of the many beautiful things about St. Louis attractions, and the Missouri Botanical Garden in particular, is that people are of a very giving nature over the history of the city, and pour their resources into making a lasting impression.
Many businesses and organizations are on board, and represented at events like this, and they get credit for it as well. Where I am able to give the credit, I will do so here. Thank you to them all for helping to put on such an amazing festival! It was a joy, and so interesting to see. On any given night, one can observe a multitude of people enjoying themselves and making memories with friends and family.
The Huge Elephant Fountain - Made of Ceramic Dishes
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeLantern Festival - 2015 - Magic Reimagined
Upon arrival, one will first get their tickets, after parking. We were lucky enough to get a parking spot in the main parking lot. The lines weren't bad, and they are very efficient at getting people in. I was so thankful to be there with my husband, who probably went more for my sake than his. It is great to go at least once, and see what exactly is entailed in a lantern festival!
Once out the main doors, you will see this huge elephant fountain, made all of dishes! it is very huge, and hard to get a grasp on how impressive it is!
Outside the Linnean House
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeThe Direction We Took
After passing the large elephant fountain, we went to the right, and toward the Linnean house. They had some amazing things set up there amongst the garden beds and ponds. This is a beautiful, historic building and one of my favorite at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Crane Paradise - By Drury Hotels
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeMore and More Lanterns and Beauty!
As you walk along the pathways, you come across more and more beautiful pieces of art, basically. You can observe the bright colors and lights, see their descriptions along the path, who helped to make it possible, etc. If I had more time, I easily could have spent more time there taking in all It was encouraging to see so many on board with such a magnificent set of ideas. To turn passions into beauty and art for so many to enjoy, as well as educational at times.
Walking Along at Your Own Pace
The grounds at this botanical garden are set up during this event to just go along at your own pace. Everything is pretty self explanatory with sufficient signage to know what is being shown and what organization donated the most to a particular set to make it possible.
Walking along during the evening is a wonderful thing to do. Whether walking along by yourself or someone else, or a whole group, you are bound to enjoy the evening. I feel fortunate to have gone with my husband, especially since he may normally not have gone on his own!
As a side benefit to going to something like this, one gets some exercise in! You can spend as little or much time as you like at each location.
Cherry Tree Arches
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeChecking Out the Slide Show and Video Below
I have included many more pictures here than meets the eye initially. You can click on the smaller icons near the larger photos, to see all of the pictures. Or, you can click through the slide show to see everything. If I left them all in their larger form, the page may not load.
I took a couple of shorter videos of our time there. I did check on Youtube, and found that someone else had done an excellent job of capturing the Lantern Festival in more of its entirety. I share that with you below, so you can see more of the sights and sounds included in the event.
Construction of the Great Wall - By Boeing
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeYear of the Sheep
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeFinal Thoughts on the Lantern Festival
I can only say that I am so glad we went to see this lantern festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I was truly impressed at how much effort went in to making it possible and such a amazing event to observe! There was so much beauty, but also so much to spark conversation about history and many other things. Nature was celebrated, and people and their history, and so much more.
If you ever get the chance to go to the garden, or one like this, I would highly recommend it. If they don't' have an event like this one going on, check their actual website to see what other current event they have going on. You might just be very pleasantly surprised.
I know that my husband and I were thankful to get to go and have this experience. Its always a joy to add a little bit of the "arts" or "culture" into our lives. We can get so caught up in the every day parts of life, we can easily overlook things like this. So we were so glad we went. Thank you to all that made it possible.
Lantern Festival Poll
Have you ever been to a lantern festival before?
Missouri Botanical Garden
This is one of my favorite places to go. I highly recommend visiting it when you can!
An Amazing Capture of the Magic Reimagined Lantern Festival!
© 2016 Paula