Sidney’s waterfront lit up with 2022 Salish Sea Lantern Festival

The 2022 Salish Sea Lantern Festival climaxed Saturday with a procession of lanterns along Sidney’s waterfront with many following an aquatic theme. (Bob Orchard/Submitted)

Sidney’s Beacon Park hosted the first edition of the Salish Sea Lantern Festival since the COVID-19 pandemic. Organized by ArtSea, the event featured not only colourful lanterns but also several musical acts, including the Uminari Taiko Drumming Ensemble. (Bob Orchard/Submitted)

The 2022 Salish Sea Lantern Festival featured an Aug. 20 procession of lanterns along Sidney’s waterfront with many following an aquatic theme. Participants first gathered in Sidney’s Beacon Park, where they listened to a variety of musical acts, with many dancing along with them. (Bob Orchard/Submitted)

The 2022 Salish Sea Lantern Festival returned to the first time since 2019 to Sidney’s waterfront through a procession of lanterns, many with an aquatic theme as the event seeks to combine culture, community and environmental awareness. (Bob Orchard/Submitted)

The Uminari Taiko Drumming Ensemble was among the musical acts playing Saturday night in Sidney’s Beacon Park as the 2022 Salish Sea Lantern Festival concluded with a procession of lanterns along Sidney’s waterfront. (Bob Orchard/Submitted).

A lantern festival snuffed out by COVID-19 for the past two years returned to Sidney’s waterfront over the weekend.

The 2022 Salish Sea Lantern Festival, organized by ArtSea community arts council, climaxed Saturday with a procession of lanterns along Sidney’s waterfront. Participants first gathered in Sidney’s Beacon Park, where several musical acts entertained the crowd until it was sufficiently dark for the procession to get underway.

The event saw participants create lanterns of various complexities, many with an aquatic theme. People could either build their own following a free online tutorial, or pick up a jellyfish lantern kit for $10 with all materials included at Island Blue, Buddies Toys and The Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea store in Sidney.

The event also featured large-scale lantern installations around the region, with residents invited to tour them using an interactive map.

Thousands of residents and visitors have been drawn to Sidney for past editions of the festival, which ranks among the highlights on the region’s events calendar, offering a celebration of art, culture, light and community.

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wolfgang.depner@peninsulanewsreview.com

Saanich Peninsula