Siri Shakti collected gum leaves to decorate her lantern with this week. She’s one of the Lismore residents keen to take part in Lismore’s virtual Lantern Parade this weekend.

Covid hasn’t stopped the annual winter celebration of light from going ahead – the festival is instead morphing into a virtual realm.

Instead of walking in a community street parade through the CBD this weekend, Siri will put her home-made lantern in the driveway and keep the light shining for all to see. 

Siri said she bought a lantern making kit from the Lantern Parade organiser Jyliie Jackson at the weekend Farmer’s Market, so she could have fun making her own lantern.

“The instructions were easy to follow,” Siri said. “Everything I needed to make it with was included - but I tried to be creative and use natural gum leaves as well as the paper shapes of dragonflies and droplets that came with it.

“It was easy and quick to make and the kit even has spare sticks and paper in case you break one.”

Quick to make

“It only took about an hour and I loved learning the process and the feeling of ownership I got by making it. I feel confident enough to experiment with different frame shapes now. 

“I’m looking forward to hanging it out for everyone to see on lantern night and encourage everyone to do it.”

Community involvement

Festival organiser Jyllie Jackson said the event needs the community to get behind the event by making or buying their own lanterns.

Not only will they be keeping the community spirit alive, but it will help keep the Lantern Parade workshop paying the rent.

Jyllie said it was going to be hard to keep paying the rent on the workshop because Covid had taken away all the gig opportunities volunteers had to make money.

Making lanterns

“We have been making and selling lanterns for six weeks online and at farmers markets,” Jyllie said. 

“We’ve sold them all and are busy in the workshop making more pyramids and diamonds lanterns to sell.

“We intend to keep selling them in the lead up to November, when hopefully, we can finally hold the Lantern Parade.

"Later, we’ll start making more complicated ones like bees and fish that we can sell too.”

This Thursday, a video collage of lantern images will be launched on the event website, consisting of photos people have sent in of home-made lanterns.

Anyone who hasn’t yet bought or made a lantern and sent in a photo can still do so - and it will be included in another community lantern collage.

Zoom event 

Jyllie said registrations open this Thursday for people who want to take part in a live Lantern Parade zoom event on Saturday night. There’s only 100 spots and participants keen to share the lantern love with the community will be sent the link to the zoom event on the night. 

The zoom event will be recorded, so you can watch it later. 

“We encourage people to have driveway lantern parties and garden parties and show us what you are doing in the zoom session,“ Jyllie said. 

Enchanted windows

This Saturday, you can also expect to see pop-up lanterns scattered throughout the CBD’s gardens and shop windows lit up as part of the festival’s enchanted windows.

“There has to be light in the city,” Jyllie said. “Pray for no rain – we don’t want them ruined.

“We’ll also have a Facebook party where the lantern fairy takes people on a tour of the enchanted windows.”

For information, or to buy a lantern making kit or a pre-made lantern, visit the Lismore Lantern Parade website for details https://www.lismorelanternparade.com.au/virtual-lantern-parade