Light It Up: An East Toronto Lantern Celebration
Lantern Making Workshops: Thursdays from February 1st – March 14th, 2024, 6:30-8:00PM
Community Lantern Parade: Sunday March 17, 2024, 7:15-8:30PM
FREE to participate
REGISTER HERE for Lantern-Making Workshops (Sorry registration is now completely full!)
RSVP HERE to the Lantern Parade
On Spring Equinox, day and night are equal, light and dark are in perfect balance – it’s a time to rejoice! Let’s celebrate the return of the sun, of balance, and of the love that got us through the dark of another long, cold winter by filling the east end with light – inside lanterns! Back by extra popular demand and love, our program Light It Up 2024 is presented by Shadowland Theatre, Workman Arts, and East End Arts.
Now entering its fourth year, you and your family are invited to join us in this free, accessible, and fun opportunity to create your own lantern of light and love, and share your lantern in our Light It Up Parade on Sunday March the 17th, 2024 with people in your east end community! Scroll down to learn about how you can participate in Light It Up this year!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
MAKE A LANTERN IN OUR WORKSHOPS: This program is all about making and sharing light across the east end, so make a lantern with us! If you’re looking for a fun, in-person experience, join us for one of seven FREE in-person lantern-making workshops in east Toronto! Workshops will include all materials and instructions to make your own lanterns, and will be suitable for all ages ten and over. Workshops will take place on Thursday evenings February 1 – March 14, 2024 6:30-8:00PM at the Crescent Town Club (Main Club Room, 4 The Mkt Pl, East York, Toronto, Ontario. M4C 5M1). Anyone who lives in East Toronto is welcome to register. Click below to register for one workshop (Registration is required, light snacks are provided)!
WE APOLOGIZE, BUT REGISTRATION FOR THESE WORKSHOPS IS NOW COMPLETELY FULL.
- MAKE A LANTERN AT HOME: If you have the means to purchase your own materials (or you have them around the house already), you can make your lantern(s) in the comfort of your home too using materials like bristol board, coloured markers, cooking oil, string, a tea light, tape, and scissors! We’ve got three incredible videos included below on this webpage that you can check out for inspiration and instructions on how to make three different types of lanterns! Check out the individual videos below to learn about the materials you’ll need to make your lantern, or explore other ideas and options online.
P.S. BIG thank you to Anne at Shadowland Theatre, Sar Wagman (Programming Intern, 2021 from OCADU), and Yuechen(Blanche) Bao (Programming Intern, 2021 from OCADU), for creating and providing these videos for us!
- SHARE YOUR LANTERN IN OUR PARADE: After we’ve all made our lanterns, we invite everyone to join us on Sunday March 17th, 2024, at 7:15pm, for a Community Lantern Parade from Dentonia Park into the Crescent Town community to celebrate the Spring Equinox and the return of the sun! With music, glowing lanterns, and the light of community spirit, we will welcome the longer days and bring hope into our hearts, together. The evening will feature a community parade with music, complimentary hot cocoas, and more! Everyone interested in joining the parade is invited to meet us at the east end of Dentonia Park in the parking lot at 7:15pm. Be sure to RSVP to the Facebook Event so we know how many people are coming, and we will share specific directions there too!
LANTERN VIDEOS
1. Oiled Paper Lantern Workshop with Anne from Shadowland Theatre
2. Recycled Lantern Workshop with Sar Wagman from OCADU and East End Arts
3. Animal Lantern Workshop with Yuechen (Blanche) Bao from OCADU and East End Arts
ABOUT SHADOWLAND THEATRE
Shadowland Theatre’s primary focus is to work with a wide range of communities to unearth their distinctive histories, create new stories and celebrate special events. They are known for animating streets, parks, and communities with their bold design sensibility and raucous theatricality. Community collaborations can take place over a number of weeks or months, culminating in large-scale, outdoor shows that leave a legacy of skills and inspiration. Shadowland works in rural and urban landscapes, and has a strong commitment to environmentally-themed, site-engaged work that connects us to the rhythms of our natural world.
ABOUT WORKMAN ARTS
Workman Arts is a multidisciplinary arts organization that promotes a greater understanding of mental health and addiction issues through creation and presentation. They support artists with lived experience through peer-to-peer arts education, public presentations and partnerships with the broader arts community. Workman Arts is the longest-running multidisciplinary arts and mental health organization in Canada.
FUNDERS
Thank you to the Slaight Family Foundation for their support of this program!
