The North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival is currently underway in Cary.
The festival includes over 2,500 lanterns in 36 new displays showcasing the culture of the Chinese. Chinese artisans create the lanterns by hand using steel frames over which silk fabric is stretched. They are then lit with LED lights. These lanterns are designed exclusively for this event and made form materials shipped from China into Wilmington. Over 25 performers and artisans arrive in Cary in early November to create the lanterns and prepare them for the festival.
Among the displays are pandas, dragons, and sea creatures. The main attraction is the Chinese dragon lantern on Symphony Lake, which is about 21 feet high, 200 feet long, and weighs 18,000lb. A crew of 15 people and a crane are needed to install the dragon. More information about such lanterns and other attractions can be made available with brochure printing.
Tickets are available for any night or can be reserved for a specific night. There is a Twilight Ticket experience available too, beginning at 4:30 pm Thursday through Sunday, and Very Important Panda (VIP) Tours Monday through Wednesday beginning at 4:30 pm, where a tour guide walks people through the festival and provides more details on featured lanterns.
The event runs through Saturday, January 22 at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary.
Location
8450 Chapel Hill Road
Suite 101
Cary, NC 27513
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Phone
Hours
Mon: 9:00 - 5:00
Tue: 9:00 - 5:00
Wed: 9:00 - 5:00
Thu: 9:00 - 5:00
Fri: 9:00 - 3:30
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed