Ethereal, beautiful, warm and colourful is how Jennifer Witvliet describes the annual Salish Sea Lantern Festival when it lights up Sidney.
Ornate paper lanterns of jellyfish, sea creatures and more will be 'swimming' against the night sky at the Aug. 24 festival, which starts at the Bandshell in Beacon Park at 6:30 p.m.
Now in its 11th year, the festival is growing and Witviet, artistic director, is placing more emphasis on installations. "There will be scenes, different vignettes along the route and the waterfront, so people can stop and really look at all the detail because there's just so much."
There will be over 100 lanterns to take in, created by her and five volunteers, plus creative participating festival-goers, which she estimates to be about 2,500 people.
"Everything is meticulously hand-built; every detail, every costume. My five core volunteers have all developed artistically over the years, and we challenge each other. That's what makes it really fun, is working with them."
This year also promises more entertainment, like live music by Daniel Cook & the Radiators, and more theatrics.
"Characters will wear an illuminated lantern and embody that character. We've got a 'crab-mudgeon' character, who's just a crabby crab fisherman. He's got acting and singing skills ... We're drawing all these talents from locals. It's everyone's passion project, it seems."
While there will be lanterns already on site, Witvliet said they really encourage people to build their own because it only adds to the magic. "Part of the excitement is what people bring. We've had so many community members build amazing lanterns from home."
Anyone can build a lantern, Witvliet said, since they can range from simple structures to more complex ones with bamboo. And afterwards, people can keep them for their home.
For those who want to keep it simple, Jellyfish Lantern Kits can be purchased at Island Blue, Buddies Toys, the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea and The Brentwood Bay Village Empourium. There are also how-to videos on the ArtSea website.
At the festival, there will be a free paper-cup-lantern-making station that can be filled with tea lights and decorated with ribbon, tissue, pipe cleaners and colouring pens. Attendees can also purchase, by donation, pre-made memory lanterns, which include a ribbon on which people can write messages, jokes or memories.
"There are a lot of meaningful and quite profound experiences that we've had over the years," Witvliet said. "It's become quite a beloved little festival."
The colourful procession will start at 8:30 p.m. along the Sidney Waterfront Walkway and end at the Bandshell.
