CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL: Franklin Square, Philadelphia, PA

Dragon, Chinese Lantern Festival, Franklin Square, Philadelphia, PA

The Chinese Lantern Festival in Philadelphia is back! It returns to Franklin Square June 21, 2022 and will be there through August 7th.

New this year, Franklin Square Fountain Show will debut a new spectacular performance of choreographed water and lights! A portion of the proceeds from the Lantern Festival benefits Historic Philadelphia, Inc. for the programming and care of Franklin Square. For more information and tickets click HERE.

Here is my report from my visit to the Lantern Festival in the summer of 2016:

Franklin Square, one of five public squares laid out by William Penn in his original plan for Philadelphia, offers a refreshing, urban green space with a variety of activities including a miniature golf course, classic carousel, burger stand, storytelling bench, picnic area, and more.

During our recent visit to Philadelphia, Franklin Square was lit up every night with 25 amazing illuminated Chinese lanterns–including a 200-foot long dragon. Around the park various booths offered Chinese crafts and foods and on the open-air stage performers juggled, did balancing acts, and demonstrated the art of “face-changing”–in which the actor changed masks so fast it seemed almost magic.

Juggler

The nighttime visit required a ticket. We purchased our tickets ahead of time online, and made our way from our hotel to Philadelphia’s Chinatown, which is adjacent to the park.

Entrance to the festival

It was still light when we arrived, and although the lanterns were colorful and impressive, we knew they would be even more dramatic in the dark. So, after enjoying a drink in the beer garden under the watchful eye of the dragon, we went to a nearby restaurant for dinner and returned as the sun was setting, entering through a tunnel of lighted arches.

Tulips and Roses

We then wandered through the park past displays of glowing flowers, stars, fish, penguins, flamingos and more, but the star of the show was the giant dragon. This was our last night in Philadelphia after a week of meetings for Art, and it was a fitting finale to the trip.

Penguins

The Chinese Lantern Festival, which ran from April 22, 2016 to June 12, 1016 was a celebration of the tenth anniversary of the rebirth of the once-derelict city park.

Lilies