Ulverston Lantern Festival to go ahead as planned on Saturday September 17th
Ulverston Lantern Festival will be going ahead as planned on September 17th with the addition of a special tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and one minute of remembrance on the field at Ford Park before the firework display.
The organising committee decided to go ahead with the event as planned and workshops this weekend and through the week after an overwhelmingly positive response from supporters on the Lanterns Facebook page.
We are all sure she would have approved that tribute and also the Festival going ahead because of the joy it brings to families and the people of Ulverston.
We are also creating a special Royal lantern in the shape of a crown which will have pride of place in the procession. The crown will be 2 metres across and around 2 metres high.
Lanterns Chair Chris Nelson commented: “Going ahead with the original date for the festival was a tough decision for the committee. We wanted to show our respect for the Queen, and so much effort had already been put into the festival by so many people. We finally decided to go out to our Lanterns community for guidance, and to other organisations. Their response was overwhelmingly in favour of the Festival going ahead, and they agreed it would be a fitting tribute to her Majesty and a celebration of the joy she brought to the national and the pride we all took in her selfless dedication.
We hugely appreciate the support for a true community festival which we hope will be a beacon of light at this sad time.”
Lantern workshops are taking place this week in the old St John Ambulance Station in The Ellers (LA12 0AB), where makers can get materials and practical advice on how to build the best lanterns. The workshops are Monday to Friday (Sept 12-16) from 5.30pm to 8.30pm.
The ‘On the Screen’ theme for the 2022 festival is exciting lantern-makers who are drawing inspiration from Star Wars, Disney and Marvel movies, children’s TV characters, and computer games.
Lantern-making kits are available for £5 each from Appleseeds in Market Street, the Book Shack in the Market Hall, The Cumbria Way in Upper Brook Street, and Croftlands Launderette. They contain willow withies, paper, PVA glue, masking tape, wire and a candle – everything needed to make a lantern. However, some lanterneers are more ambitious in their plans and have been contacting the organising committee for more materials.
Big lanterns will lead each of the four processions which will come together outside The Coro in County Square around 8.00pm, before combining into one big procession making its way up to Ford Park for the big firework finale starting at 9.00pm.
We are still looking for extra volunteers to help steward the processions and man the barriers which will close roads around the town centre from around 6.30pm to 9.30pm, to ensure the safety of those taking part and the crowds attending the Festival. Volunteers please contact Chris Nelson on 07761 930627 or email chris@trafalgar-pr.co.uk
The Lantern Festival community event is self-funding with support from local companies such as education specialists CGP Books, and from Ulverston Town Council and South Lakeland District Council. But most of the £10,000 needed to run the event each year comes from sales of Lantern Kits and cash – coins and notes donated by crowds on the night itself.
To find out more about the festival go to the Facebook page
