DIY lantern workshops lead up to the 17th annual Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival

Image from Still Moon Arts Society | Facebook.com

The annual Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival is back for its 17th year this upcoming Saturday, September 14th!

This popular, family-friendly event is held in the Renfrew Park neighbourhood in east Vancouver. The event itself will feature tons of live music, entertainment, beautiful art displays, food, and other surprises.

Each year, the festival attracts around 5,000+ locals and visitors to enjoy the fantastic displays of colour, light, and music that pay homage to the Renfrew Ravine: one of the last vestiges of both open stream and urban forest in the city.

Leading up to the event, there are multiple DIY lantern workshops that will lead you in the creation of your own beautiful illuminating lantern for the event itself. If you’re planning on taking part in the 2019 Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival, make sure to check out one of these lantern workshops ahead of time.

Image from Still Moon Arts Society | Facebook.com

Co-produced by a local group, the Still Moon Arts Society, and the Renfrew Park Community Association, this annual festival celebrates the harvest abundance and the full moon.

For the entire Saturday, September 14th, the festival begins as a harvest celebration during the day and ends off as a lantern festival during the night. As dusk gathers, a procession will begin to form along the banks of the ravine, featuring illuminating lanterns that are beautifully handcrafted by local artists, community members and students.

Make your own lantern

Leading up to the event, you have a few workshops to choose from for creating your own illuminating lantern (or a mooncake!):

Sept. 3-6: Arduino Lantern Workshop (5:00-8:00pm each day) at Slocan Park Fieldhouse // $100 (4 days) – more info

Sept. 7, 8: Mooncake Workshops at Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex // $20 (1 day)

Sept. 7 & 9: Fire and Water Lanterns at Slocan Park Fieldhouse // $20 (2 days)

Sept. 8 & 9: Mushroom Lanterns at Slocan Park Fieldhouse // $25 (2 days)

Sept. 10, 11, 12: Glass Jar Lanterns (4:00-7:00pm) at Slocan Park Fieldhouse // $10 (1 day)

For more information about each workshop and how to register, visit the festival website.

Image from Still Moon Arts Society | Facebook.com

Moon Festival Schedule

On September 14, 2019, the festival kicks off with the Harvest Fair from 4:00 – 7:30 pm.

This includes a home-grown harvest competition, featuring entries by local gardeners of some of Renfrew-Collingwood’s best fruits, vegetables and flowers. You will also be able to explore the booths of local organizations, artisans, and non-profit groups from the community.

As night falls, the community will gather for the Twilight Lantern Walk from 7:30 – 8:00 pm.

This sunset parade from Slocan Park to Renfrew Park. Festival-goers will light their own lanterns and walk the trails along the ravine, serenaded by live music as darkness falls. Passing by the river-stone labyrinth, you will be invited to join in a walking meditation surrounded by music and light. The parade will pass by various art installations and maybe even surprise performances until it reaches Renfrew Park.

After the procession, the festival will slow down from 8:00 – 8:45 pm for the Lantern Festival.

Take in the beauty of candlelight, exquisite lanterns, ethereal music and the shimmering stream. Just outside of the stream, you will find musicians playing at the main stage, a Tea Garden full of delicious treats, and a final spectacle featuring dancing, stilting, fire spinning, and an explosion of light.