Dragons, food and more have arrived in Cary for the annual Chinese Lantern Festival

Kristen Johnson
·3 min read

Cary is one of the few places in the world where dozens of handmade Chinese lanterns are on display for two months, celebrating a new year.

The N.C. Chinese Lantern Festival is back for its eighth year at Koka Booth Amphitheatre with performances and over 40 new lanterns, which in Chinese New Year celebrations symbolize respect and prosperity.

Each Chinese lantern is hand-crafted on silk fabric stretched over steel frames and then lit with hundreds of LED lights. Every year, the festival, produced by Tianyu Arts & Culture Inc. with the town of Cary, changes the themes and lanterns.

The displays include a 200-foot, 18,000-pound dragon on the amphitheatre’s lake, animals, Chinese mythological characters, and episodes from classic Chinese novels, including “Journey to the West,” where the mischievous Monkey King causes chaos in the celestial realm.

This year, there also are more food items for visitors, including crispy egg rolls and wonton soup, and commemorative apparel and merchandise.

In short, attendees are in for a unique experience.

The festival begins Friday and runs through Jan. 14, with organizers adding one more week than previous years.

Dec. 6 will be a Sensory Friendly Night. The music will be lowered, there will be no flashing or strobe lights, and crowds will be smaller with a quiet space to accommodate visitors on the autism spectrum or who experience sensory overload.

One of Cary’s most anticipated events

Last year, Koka Booth Amphitheatre reported the festival had a $7 million economic impact with more than 216,000 visitors. The numbers were up from 2021, when 200,000 people visited and the festival made an impact of about $1.8 million less.

On Tuesday evening, Cary leaders and organizers opened the gates of the Lantern Festival for a “Flip the Switch” preview.

“They had to convert the (venue) very quickly, and there are thousands and thousands of lights here that make this very, very special,” Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said. “It took 40 tractor-trailer loads to get all of these lanterns here from Zigong, China. That’s pretty impressive.”

Weinbrecht was joined by Town Council members Ryan Eades, Carissa Johnson, Jennifer Robinson and Jack Smith, as well as Wake County Commissioner Susan Evans and state House Rep. Julie von Haefen.

“I come to this several times since I live right down the street,” von Haefen said. “It’s always just good to see the community come out and enjoy the holidays. There are a lot of new things this year, which is always great. Even if people have been before, hopefully, they will come back.”

The ancient art of Chinese lantern-making began in 206 B.C. in the Han Dynasty.

Over 25 Chinese artisans and performers come to North Carolina in early November to hand assemble the lanterns and prepare for the festival, according to the amphitheatre.

The process to bring the festival to Cary is a year-round event, according to William Lewis, the cultural arts manager for Cary. Each lantern and material is shipped from China to ports in Wilmington before being transported to Cary.

Tianyu Arts & Culture, headquartered in China, selected Cary as one of the communities to host the festival in 2015. The venue announced the firm extended its contract in Cary until 2028.

Ticket info for NC Chinese Lantern Festival

Koka Booth Amphitheatre is at 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary.

Tickets can be purchased for specific nights, events and for those with disabilities.

For tickets and additional information, including which items are allowed in the venue, go to boothamphitheatre.com.