5 Reasons To Visit The Winter Lantern Festival Before It Closes

It’s a magical walk through light and art

The festival features hundreds of handcrafted Chinese lanterns, from glowing dragons and swans to giant flowers and playful animals, turning your evening into a dreamlike landscape. The walk takes roughly an hour, but you’ll probably find yourself stopping for photos and lingering just a little longer to soak in all the enchantment.

It’s fun for all ages (especially great for kids)

Besides seeing glowing lanterns that can lift any mood, there are kid-friendly extras like light-up swings and inflatable houses. This makes it a hit for families who want something more than just pretty lights.

Live performances and surprises

The festival isn’t just static displays, you can catch live entertainment like acrobatic performances and enjoy cultural touches like traditional myth- or legend-themed lanterns.

A fun, festive winter outing or mini getaway

For folks near Richmond, the festival is only about an hour drive and is a nice excuse to get out of town for an evening, a day trip or even a weekend getaway. It’s more than a lights show, it feels like the perfect winter escape.

Photo-worthy and memory-making

The large-scale lanterns, glowing, twinkling lights, especially after sunset, make for beautiful photos. A visit feels like a small adventure where you and your family can capture memories to last a lifetime.

Winter Lantern Festival Reviews

“Spectacular sites. A very unique experience. The acrobat show was fun, engaging and very professional. Worth a visit for sure.” 

“Absolutely amazing!!! The acrobats were phenomenal and the light designs were nothing short of spectacular!!! Will be coming back!!” 

“Was so excited to go and it far exceeded our expectations! The acrobats were wonderful and very engaging. The lanterns are amazing.”

“Absolutely gorgeous lanterns! And the show was amazing! My family and I loved every second of it.” “Beautiful – loved the experience. It was a very nice walk. Had not been to the Jamestown Settlement area before and the path it was on was so well cared for. The handmade lanterns were amazing, to painstakingly hand paint all of those with the vibrant colors. We will definitely go again.”