This year’s special edition of the Rivers of Light Festival is incorporating a new province-wide event called Light Up Quebec which is coinciding with the first weekend of Journées de la Culture. Rather than gathering in the street, people are invited to place their crafted lanterns inside or outside their door or window of their homes. Organizers are hoping the magic of the lanterns dancing in the twilight will defy and beautify the current COVID-19 situation.
Based in Sherbrooke Quebec, the annual lantern festival marks the beginning of autumn, when the city is illuminated by hundreds of handmade lanterns. Ever since it began five years ago, people have been taking to the streets, crafting their own unique lanterns and the most creative have walked away with prizes and this year is no different as prizes will once again be given out, despite the unique circumstances.
Create a lantern and win a prize
Thanks to partners Destination Sherbrooke and La Fabrique Culturelle there will be some great prizes given out over the next couple of weeks. In order to qualify to win, you simply need to upload a photo of your handmade lantern onto social media networks with the hashtags #illuminonslequebec and #lightupquebec. In addition, you can also take part in the Lantern-Making Recipe Book Competition by sending in a photo of your completed lantern along with a step-by-step guide on how to make it. Cash awards will be given out for the winning ‘recipes’.
Individuals, groups, and organizations are encouraged to sign up for Light Up Quebec’s free registration. There is a smorgasbord of information on the website in order to get creative lantern-making underway, including a toolkit full of ideas on how to spread the word and get their area all lit up. People are also invited to send in the name of their road/town and get a little virtual lantern to pop up on the interactive map on the website.
Quebec is lighting up more and more every day!
The 6th edition will take place from September 25-27.
Please visit www.english.rivieresdelumieres.org for details.
Source: rivieresdelumieres.org
