The annual Newburyport Lantern Festival will take place on Sunday, September 3, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Bartlet Mall Frog Pond will be illuminated by hundreds of glowing lanterns floating on the water, each one representing a person’s special wish or a loved one who is being remembered.
This is a free, outdoor family-friendly event. All are invited to come watch and/or participate. Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic supper and blanket or chairs to relax in the park while taking in this spectacle. Enjoy live music performances and speakers leading up to the grand illumination, which will take place at dusk. ?
Lanterns will be available for a $10 suggested donation. Participants will have the opportunity to decorate their own paper lantern, and calligraphers will be on hand to assist with lettering. Lanterns can then be lit and floated at dusk.
This is an incredibly moving and healing experience for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one, because they can honor that special person with a handwritten sentiment on their lantern, and witness as it joins with hundreds of others, casting a beautiful glow on the pond.
If you’d like more time to decorate your lantern at home, you can purchase one early at Greetings by Design on Rear Water Street in Newburyport. Lanterns will, of course, be available at the event as well.
Parking near the event is limited, so get there early to get a spot around the mall. Downtown Newburyport has several public lots that are a five to ten-minute walk. Biking or carpooling is a great idea, too. ?
This special once-a-year event is hosted by Greater Newburyport Ovarian Cancer Awareness, a local nonprofit group, and the proceeds support their mission of raising awareness about the symptoms of ovarian cancer and funding research for the cure. If interested in volunteering for this event, please visit Facebook.com/OCAwareness for the volunteer signup link.
The mission of Greater Newburyport Ovarian Cancer Awareness (GNOCA) is to improve women’s lives by increasing recovery and survival rates of women at risk for ovarian cancer. GNOCA seeks to increase awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, help fund cancer research, and provide support services for women with ovarian cancer within the greater Newburyport area. GNOCA sponsors a series of community events throughout September, National Ovarian Cancer Month.
Proceeds support Ovations for the Cure, a Massachusetts nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the mission of promoting knowledge of the disease, concrete hope, and support for those already diagnosed, and significant scientific advancements leading to the cure.