Expect a magical evening at Tofino Lantern Festival
Event in Tofino, B.C., great way to cap off a day at Long Beach Lodge ResortOne of the highlights of summer for residents and visitors to Tofino, B.C., takes place Aug. 16 at the Tofino Botanical Gardens.
The 15th annual Tofino Lantern Festival is a “signature community event, drawing a following with an unbelievable variety of handmade lanterns,” says TourismTofino.com.
Thousands of lanterns will glow in warm light, creating a magical parade of colourful, handcrafted art pieces against the starlit night sky over the Pacific Ocean.
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The evening event is a great way to cap off a day spent at Long Beach Lodge resort with a trip into town, where you’ll need to catch a shuttle to the event. If you’re in need of accommodations, book now as this is a popular time of year for visiting Tofino, B.C.
In the past, lanterns have taken the shape of aircraft, the famous Yellow Submarine from Beatles lore and a mind-boggling assortment of real and imagined animals and famous characters from various genres of entertainment and literature.
Adding to the magical atmosphere is music and entertainment, including a children’s lantern parade, DJs, musicians, a laser light show and fire spinning.
The festival is the largest annual fundraiser for the Raincoast Education Society, a non-profit agency established 15 years ago this August. The society’s mission is to promote a sustainable future for the region.
The society is holding workshops to teach people how to build their own lanterns all week, Aug. 10-14, from 1to 6 p.m., at its office in the Tofino Botanical Gardens.
The Tofino Botanical Gardens displays and cultivates plants native to the world’s coastal temperate rainforests. The gardens are dedicated to research and education programs that help the public learn about the ecosystems of the UNESCO Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve.
The lantern festival raises about $10,000 every year for the Raincoast Education Society, according to its executive director Dan Harrison in an interview with the Westerly News.
“The event itself is incredibly enjoyable and reaches so many families,” Harrision told the News.
“From the get go, we were a small organization and the lantern festival was a small event. Now the organization has grown substantially and this event continues to grow with us and allows us to grow.”
If you plan to go, note that there is no parking at the event. To get there, you’ll need to board one of the shuttles, which leave every half hour from Tofino’s Village Green starting at 7 p.m.
The 15th annual Tofino Lantern Festival takes place from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Tofino Botanical Gardens, in Tofino, B.C.
