The 2023 Lismore Lantern Parade is underway in the CBD under clear blue skies waiting for the crowds to roll in.

There are all sorts of stallholders including food, face painting, fairy floss, plants, arts & crafts and clothing to browse throughout the afternoon before the Lantern Parade gets underway at 5:30pm.

The main Heartbeats Festival Stage has live music performing throughout the afternoon and night.

The lanterns were arriving from LighnUp Inc's Keen Street building throughout the morning with four trucks performing a continuous run.

A spokesperson said everything was running smoothly despite a later start for road closures.

There will be 119 lanterns paraded through the CBD tonight with a lot of new lanterns being seen for the first time.

The Fiery Finale will be at the end of Victoria Street on the river bank and will also feature new large lanterns making their debut.

The 2023 Lismore Lantern Parade's theme is 'Gates of Renewal'.

Jyllie Jackson explains the meaning:

"The winter solstice is the time for change. Gates of Renewal comes from the fact that the winter solstice is that time when the days have been getting longer and longer (in the Northern Hemisphere) and then at that moment of the winter solstice the sun stops and then starts to come back again."

"So, there's this sort of magical moment, which has been recognized and celebrated for millennia in cultures all over the world in what is called a liminal space. When the doors open, the gates open, so it's our opportunity for renewal."

Everything you need to know is on the Lismore App's Lismore Lantern Parade button on the front page Lismore Lantern Parade.