Leaving the House


"Is the diaper bag packed?" I ask my husband, Jeremiah, as I rush to get my camera bag ready.


"Yes, it's all ready," he replies to me as he scoops up Zelda into his arms, the diaper bag dangling from his shoulder. I nod to show that I heard him, and double check that the SD card is in my Nikon Z7ii before putting it into the camera bag. I walk over, plant kisses on my husband and baby, Zelda smiling at me before turning her head into her dad's shoulder.


"Okay, let's go." I open the door to the garage. I open the driver door, set my camera bag onto the passenger seat and close the door. I hear Jeremy getting into the backseat with Zelda. Popping open the sunglass compartment above the rear-view mirror, I place my large black sunglasses on my face.


I check the mirror and see that our daughter is buckled in. "Ready?"


"Set!" he replies. We then both look at Zelda, and in unison, say "GO!" The idea is that one day she'll be the one to say "Go."


I pull the car onto the street, and we make our way to Carpenter Park in Thornton, Colorado.

Arriving Early


I pull into one of the parking lots near the two ponds at Carpenter Park. Between the two of us, we get the stroller out of the back of the car, place our water bottles in the cup holders on the handle bar, place my camera bag in the storage underneath, the picnic blanket under Zelda's feet once she's strapped in, and I put the diaper bag on my back. We walk over to where we see event tents set up, and ask where check-in happens for the festival. We are told that check-in won't start until 17:30, which is fair - that's what our tickets say. Our tickets had also mentioned early check-in, but apparently we are too early for that.


We decide to go find a spot to claim for the evening. We are told where the lantern launch will happen, and plan accordingly. We end up choosing a shady spot under a tree with a retaining wall to lean against. Honestly - it is a great spot! Definitely worth being early for.


I spread the blanket out in the grass next to the retaining wall. Jeremy gets Zelda's toys and spreads them out in the grass above the retaining wall while I'm doing this. It is now about 17:00, and a DJ mentions over speakers that early check in will now begin.


"How about you go check in, come back, and then I'll go get food," Jeremy suggests to me. I agree, and set off to the Check-In tent. There are three check-in tents, but for some reason everyone is lining up in front of one. I line up in front of the other tent that says "Check-In" on it and am first in line. By the time the team is ready to do early check-in it is 17:15. There are several people in line that are irritated by the wait, and honestly, I am a little tiffed myself. It is clear that the team members running the event are not all on the same page.


I check-in, get our two lantern kits, and return to our blanket. Jeremy then takes off to find food and returns with a brat for me and loaded nachos for himself. We move down to the blanket and off the retaining wall, setting up umbrellas behind us on top of the wall to block the sun more. Zelda plays with her toys as we eat and share bites of food with her.

A baby in a pink sweater sits comfortably on a green blanket outdoors while playing with a toy.

Making our Lanterns


We finish eating and start decorating our lanterns. At first, we weren't sure what to put on our lanterns, but based on the announcements that the DJ is making, it becomes clear to us that these lanterns can be used for manifestations, and for emotional releases. Jeremy decides to do a design on his lantern, keeping the thoughts internal. I create themes for each of the four sides of mine:


  1. Thankful For
  2. Hopeful For
  3. Accomplishments
  4. Goals


I also decide to write a manifestation spell in a clockwise circle around the tea light on the base of my lantern.


Zelda has been hanging out with us, but now she's crawling over to another couple's blanket. I get up to retrieve our daughter, but the couple is thrilled that she crawled over and wants to visit. It's really cool of them to play with Zelda while we finish our lanterns. They brought stickers to decorate theirs and put a sticker on the sleeve of her pink Power Ranger onesie. They are seriously so nice.


I look up at the clouds to reflect on the items I put on my lantern and I notice there's a heart in the sky. That seems to be really fitting given the setting. There are even inflatable hearts across the water where the DJ is.

Festival crowd relaxes on grassy waterfront with heart-shaped decorations and speaker systems visible in background.
Someone in a gray shirt writes in a notebook outdoors with a stroller visible in the background on a sunny day.
White fluffy clouds float across a bright blue summer sky with green tree leaves visible in the corner.

Lantern Launch


Around 2030 the DJ announces that its time to start the Lantern Launch. Jeremy, Zelda, and I sit on our blanket and turn the tea lights on in our lanterns. We stay put and watch other people go to the water to launch their lanterns, just enjoying the magic and seriousness of the occasion. There are people who go up to the stage and talk about their Lantern Stories, and many of them are using the lanterns to remember people who have passed on, or to remind themselves of the strength they have after overcoming a hardship in their lives.


It truly is magical watching all the lanterns float out onto the water carrying the weight of peoples hopes, of their dreams, of their grief, of their strength - and so much more. We truly believe this will become an annual family tradition for us.

Silhouetted figures watch illuminated windows reflecting on dark water at dusk.
Pink and purple post-it notes with handwritten messages arranged in a line against a dark fabric background.
Two figures dance gracefully on an outdoor stage at night with dramatic red lighting and fog effects.
Dark reflections of trees in still water create a moody and atmospheric scene at dusk.
People gather on grassy hill at sunset to watch the evening sky over a city skyline in the distance.
Glowing lanterns float across a dark lake at night as crowds gather along the shore during a festival celebration.
Paper lanterns illuminate the shoreline as spectators gather at dusk for a traditional lantern festival.
Paper lanterns glowing softly in a nighttime gathering illuminate multiple rows at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Illuminated paper lanterns line up in rows at night creating a peaceful glowing display against the dark background.
Glowing paper lanterns illuminate a dark lakeside path creating a peaceful nighttime atmosphere with reflections on the water.

Lessons for Next Year


As we walk back to the car, Jeremy and I start discussing what we will do differently next year. Although we liked arriving early, and although we were well prepared with snacks and beverages for Zelda, we were not so well prepared for ourselves.


Next year we will arrive just as early, but will bring a cooler containing water and snacks, and a game or two to play in the park while waiting for the event to start. We both agree this was an amazing experience, and decide it's a new family traditions for us.

Find a Water Lantern Festival Near You


The Water Lantern Festival takes place internationally! To find when one will be taking place near you, visit their website.