LunarFest Lantern Procession to celebrate the Lunar New Year

Running through February 28, 2010, the annual Vancouver LunarFest is a Lunar New Year celebration like no other: Get ready for more lanterns—thousands made by school children and artists—than you can imagine, plus awe-inspiring cultural programs and events, too.

Part of the 2010 Cultural Olympiad multicultural arts festival, this year’s LunarFest is transforming downtown Vancouver’s Granville Street—between Georgia Street and Robson Street in the heart of downtown’s shopping district—into a sea of colour and light with the Lantern Forest and an open-air art exhibit of works from Canadian and Taiwanese artists.

LunarFest 2010 Lantern Forest in downtown Vancouver

Public art lantern display Confusion Fusion by Bruce Voyce; part of LunarFest 2010

Along with its ongoing lantern displays, LunarFest 2010 has big events planned for the eve and day of the Lunar New Year, February 13 – 14, 2010. (These are separate events from Vancouver Chinatown’s annual Chinese New Year Parade and festivities.)

LunarFest’s Lunar New Year celebration includes the not-to-be-missed Lantern Procession through downtown Vancouver, performances by local Asian communities, including Korean drum dances, and a performance by the Grammy-nominated Ten Drum Art Percussion Group from Taiwan.

For a complete schedule of LunarFest events and Lunar New Year celebrations, see the official site.

LunarFest 2010 runs from January 22 – February 28, 2010. And remember: It’s all free!