Lyman Orchards in Connecticut will be aglow with the lights of more than 1,000 handmade Chinese lanterns this holiday season.
The Winter Lantern Festival will illuminate the more than 1,100 acres of scenic farmland that make up Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, creating a fantastical show inspired by Chinese mythology, legends and the zodiac, starting on Nov. 15.
“It’s always great to share our culture and our traditional crafts with new people and new audiences,” said Xiao Tian Falig, CEO of Kaleido Arts & Entertainment Group, which hosts the festival, in an interview with The Republican. “We are very excited to be here, and Lyman Orchards is a great and beautiful place to display our works of art.”
The festival began in New York in 2018 with the goal of “activating public spaces to feature world-class lantern festivals,” according to its website. Since its inception, the event has expanded across the country, and has seen three consecutive years of sell-out runs in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, where it has welcomed more than 150,000 guests.
This is the first year that Kaleido Arts & Entertainment has partnered with Lyman Orchards to bring the festival to Connecticut. The process to set up the more than 1,000 lanterns takes about two weeks, Falig said, adding that all lanterns are handmade at their warehouse in China and transported overseas by cargo ships.
“The variety of lanterns change from year to year,” Falig said. “There are usually different sections of displays — we always try to bring in bits and pieces of the Asian culture and history to our festivals, but also to have a display of more modern, relatable lanterns for our guests to enjoy.”
Lyman Orchards in Connecticut will host a Winter Lantern Festival, featuring designs inspired by Chinese mythology and history, starting on Nov. 15. (Photo courtesy Winter Lantern Festival)Winter Lantern Festival
Each lantern is its own work of art, and the entire process — from lantern welding to shaping and painting — is done by hand by Kaleido Entertainment’s team of artisans, with their over 20 years of experience.
The festival aims to help “preserve cultural heritage and traditional arts,” its website states.
Chinese lanterns have a history dating back thousands of years and have become a staple of Chinese culture, according to the Chinese Learning Institute. The earliest records of paper lanterns date back as early as the Eastern Han dynasty (25 to 220 A.D.). They were used to honor traditional Chinese characters and advertise nearby businesses. As their popularity grew, monks adopted them to celebrate Buddha, and lanterns became a part of worship rituals.
Over the next several centuries, the importance of Chinese lanterns only grew, and during the Tang dynasty (618 to 907 AD), citizens would release lanterns into the sky to celebrate their heritage and pride.
In modern-day China, a lantern festival is held every year to celebrate the end of the Chinese New Year.
“We are excited to host the Winter Lantern Festival this year. It’s a beautiful display of color and culture, and a memorable experience that the whole family will enjoy,” John Lyman, executive vice president at Lyman Orchards, said in a statement.
Guests will walk through a landscape illuminated by designs lifted out of Chinese history and mythology, like zodiac animals including the rabbit, dragon and ox; as well as other creatures symbolic of Chinese culture.
The event features other attractions for families, including interactive light swings, dino rides, see-saws and tunnels, with plenty of spots for photo ops. The walkthrough ends at an area that will offer kid-friendly entertainment, cozy fire pits and a variety of food and drink for sale each night. Lyman Orchards will be selling its house-made apple cider donuts, hot cider and cocoa.
Tickets for the festival, which must be purchased in advance online, are $26.99 for ages 13-64; $16.99 ages 4-12; $21.99 for seniors 65 and older, and students and military with ID. Admission is free for toddlers 3 and under.
The festival will be open nightly from 5 to 9 p.m., though times may vary depending on weather. The walkthrough itself is 45 minutes long, and families can enjoy the additional activities for as long as they’d like. The festival is open Nov. 15 through Feb. 9, with extended hours on holiday nights including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
For an additional cost, attendees can purchase a Wish Jar, a star-shaped glass container filled with fairy lights, to bring a part of the show home with them. Wish Jars must be picked up in-person at the event.
