The Lights Fest Review
Going to the lantern festival in Chiang Mai Thailand has been a dream of mine for many years. Ā When an ad for The Lights Fest Washington DC popped up in my Instagram feed showing a gazillion lanterns in a dark sky I was intrigued and I was not disappointed, but thereās so much stuff I would do differently! Ā The Lights Fest is a Lantern event in the United States, not the Yi Peng Festival that takes place in Chiang Mai every year.Ā This is a review for The Lights Fest that takes place all over the USA and not Thailand.
No The Lights Fest / The Lantern Fest is not a scam, but just very poorly organized. Ā I still thought the experience was unique and magical but there are a few things you need to know before going that I wish I had known beforehand.
I clicked onto their rather slow and annoyingly designed website from the Ad with little information and snooped around. Ā Despite the lack of info, I decided to take a gamble and signed up to be notified when tickets went on sale. Ā
The Lights Fest Location
Even though this was the Lights Fest Washington DC, it was actually located in the middle of a field on the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania. Ā AND it was the same event as the Baltimore Lights Fest. Ā If you are planning on going I’d double check because they advertise major city locations, but the actual event is not in those cities.
What to Bring to The Lights Fest
The Lights Fest advertised NOT to bring your own food and drink and that this would not be allowed. Ā There were people everywhere with their own food and drink, no one was checking. Ā Plus as much as Iād like to support the food trucks they had invited, there simply werenāt enough food vendors. Ā The lines were atrocious!! Ā And the only food we were able to buy was from the venue itself, which was disgusting and barely edible. Ā If you want food and beverage Iād bring your own and ignore their stipulations.
Iād bring my own lighter like this one, next time too as we never got to light our lantern! Ā There were lines to the tiki torches they had prepared and we never actually got to light our lantern.Ā Though do be careful, lighters are a fire hazard.Ā You will need at least 2 people to hold up the lantern while someone is lighting it.Ā Though this was the case with the tiki torches as well.
Bring one of these awesome chairs or this less expensive one here. Ā We saw them everywhere and wished we had bought them instead of our blanket.
Pricing and Tickets for The Lights Fest
I ended up missing the early bird special sale for $25 and got the almost last chance of $45 for this lantern fest. Ā I still didnāt bite yet, and waiting paid off. Ā They sent me a coupon for $10 bucks off. Ā But The Lights Fest event did charge us $3 PER PERSON for parking of all things. Ā And for some reason even though the Baltimore Lights Fest and the Washington DC Lights Fest were one and the same, they were advertised at different rates. Ā Iād clear your browser/cache/cookies and check pricing in nearby areas for the best price. Ā We ended up paying about $40 per person.
Donāt Buy Tickets for The Lights Fest and Gamble
Our ticket price included a lantern. Ā But honestly, you could attend this event without buying a ticket. Ā NO ONE was checking tickets. Ā Thereās no barrier to entry, you just drive in. Ā Now Iām not saying this will be true of their other events, but for ours it was. Ā I literally could have just driven in without a ticket and brought my own lantern.Ā If you do choose to try this method of entry for The Lights Fest and bring your own lantern, please buy one that is biodegradable on that is not going to turn into a fireball when lit.Ā The ones that The Lights Fest provides are pretty good.Ā Ā
If you don’t want to light yourĀ own lantern, you could again just go and enjoy the event.Ā We had a group of 4 and none of us got our lantern in the air.Ā So if you have multiple people in your group you could just get one ticket to get the lantern they provide and the rest take a gamble without tickets.Ā Again it takes at least 2 people to get the lantern in the air from the tiki torches, it’s better with 3 though.Ā OneĀ person to hold up the lantern and make sure it doesn’t set on fire and two people to actually hold the sides and try to light the lantern from the tiki torch.
The Lights Fest was Poorly Organized
The reason you probably donāt need a ticket is that this event was rather disorganized. They advertised it as a child-friendly event with lots of activities. Ā Well, there were none of these activities, except for the actual bands performing. Ā No moon bounce and no face painting.
Lighting the Lanterns at The Lights Fest
I never thought lighting the lanterns would be so hard!Ā First, there were not enough tiki torches so we had to wait quite a bit before we each got to light our lanterns, which by the way we never got to do.Ā A storm headed our way and strong winds started to blow.Ā If there were more torches or more time we could have gotten all 4 of our lanterns in the air.
Lighting the actual lanterns requires more than one person.Ā I would recommend 2 people to hold the lantern and one person to light it.Ā The lanterns are pretty tall and you need someone to hold it up while it’s being lit or the sides will burn.Ā If you do bring your own flame please be extra careful as it could be a fire hazard.
The Lanterns for The Lights Fest
Despite the disappointing aspects of The Lights Fest, it was such a magical experience. Ā When the sunset and all the lanterns were in the air against a dark blue sky, I nearly cried. Ā Yes, it was that touching. Ā Unfortunately, the wind picked up and we were unable to get our own lantern up in the air. Ā But I truly enjoyed the experience even though we didnāt get our lantern up. Ā Iād definitely bring one of these lighters next time.
If we had it to do all over again Iād bring one of these chairs I saw everywhere! Ā The looked super comfy. Ā Iād definitely pack my own food and beverages.Ā
So Iād definitely go to The Lights Fest again, but Iām not sure Iād buy tickets! Ā And Iād definitely bring my own food. Ā Overall it was a magical experience and I think with these tips you would be better off than we were. Ā Have you considered going to Lights Festival?
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If you want to see some video footage from the Lights Lantern Fest, check out my Facebook Page.
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Even though it was poorly organized, it still looks like an amazing event!
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
Your review of the event was interesting and I’m glad you enjoyed the experience despite the disorganisation. It sounds like a lovely premise but needs work on the finer details.
So sorry it was so poorly organized and that you never got your lantern off the ground. Glad though that the sight was worth it in the end. Where was this exactly?
It was in PA, right on the PA and MD border!
Would love to do this even if it is a bit disorganised, thanks for the tips
This is such a beautiful and enlightening experience. After reading your blog post, even with all the organizational mishaps, I still want to attend one day! Beautiful pictures!
Too bad that the organising was so bad š but I think that the view was amazing!
Yeah, we considered going in 2015, but unfortunately, we couldn’t make it to the festival, but your tips here are so amazing, I would like to visit Light festival but with all the tips you provided here.
P.S. Those lanterns really look so magical
I’d love to go but the organization sounds a bit rough
xoxo,
Emma
http://petitemaisonoffashion.blogspot.com/ ā„
Too bad it was poorly organized. There’s something magical about lanterns floating in the sky, so I’m glad you got experience that. I hope to experience this but in Thailand one day.
Wow the landers remind of the anime film I have watched recently. they are so beautiful, I haven’t experience it yet, and I’m so jealous of you. wonderful photos, wonderful presentation. thank you for sharing.
I’ve only been to the southern parts of Thailand but this festival is one of my next top destinations! Your pictures are gorgeous ā¤ļø
Danielle
http://www.thewanderlover.com
What a beautiful sentiment, I just love the aesthetic. Sorry to hear you didn’t have a great experience.
Awesome! Looks like an awesome experience! Sad to hear organization was terrible though
I’m surprised that this event cost money to go to because the Lantern Festival in Oahu, Hawaii is free to go to! It doesn’t sound like you enjoyed it very much but I hope the next time you go is better for you.
Wow how beautiful! I just adore your flower crown as well!
Thanks for the honest review of the festival. Very helpful tips. Photographs are stunning! Despite all the mismanagement, the festival looks great and a worth-experience event. š
It looks so beautiful in pictures! I guess its your art ! That poorly organised stuff you present so well ! Its an event everyone wants to join atleast once in thier life
That is frustrating, but I guess every event probably takes a few years to iron out the kinks! Glad you were still able to enjoy it, though!
The photos really make me want to go to a lightfest on the east coast, but the crowds seem to be a huge deterrent. Thanks for the honesty review!
I’m sorry to hear this was poorly organized, but from your photos, it looked like it was still a worthwhile experience. I’ve never been to the lights fest in Chiang Mai so have no idea how it would compare, but if it’s anything like this I would be a happy camper! So cool that they let you light your own lanterns too. Definitely would like to make it to a lights fest sometime in the future.
How cool is that! Thanks for the hints
Also amazing photos!
You have covered the event so well that it doesnt feel that it was poorly organised. I feel that had it been better organised, a lot more activities could have been included. However, once the chinese lanterns are up in the sky, they make a wonderful sight, dont they?
I had no idea there was such an event in the USA and in the DC/Baltimore area no less! I’m sorry the event was so poorly organized but really appreciate your input if I ever go! Great photos though!
Very cool but I would also want to see the one in Chiang Mai some day. What time if year was this? Looks beautiful either way!
What a phenomenal view, I guess that what’s is masking their disorganisation and mismanagement coz with a view like that you are bound to forget all your complaints but good that you brought this up!!
I love this, It’s so pretty. I participated in a lantern festival in Madrid last year. It was so much fun.
Looks beautiful! I’m actually going to the Yee Peng release in Chiang Mai this November and can’t wait, it looks like a dream.
Great photos and ad tips from the festival, I love festivals inn Thailand and have bee to a lot of them, but never experienced any problems. Shame it was not as organised as you would have hoped.
I love how this is such an off-beat article about an event in Thailand and not purely talking about the destination itself. And despite the fact it may have been poorly disorganized, glad it did not put a damper on your overall experience! Light on!
It is so great that you can experience a light festival near home! I would also love to experience the festival in Thailand, it really does look incredible! We have just moved to china so hoping to find a similar event in this area too! Thanks for sharing!
I missed my chance of participating in this in 2015 but I hope I can do it sometime later š Its a great place to be for taking pictures.
Lovely post on lights festival with amazing pictures. Being from India, I have witnessed similar lantern festivals during Diwali festival and it is very big…..lovely post.
Awesome pictures!! What camera settings and lens did you use? Iām going to a lights fest tomorrow and have a 18-55 mm lens kit, 55-300 mm lens, and just got a 35 mm prime lens
Sorry I just saw this comment!! I used my 35mm at 2.8, and my 17-55 2.8F lens, I had both pretty wide open, at around 400 ISO. Hope you had a great time!
hi there! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE TIPS.. i was thinking to purchase tickets from nightlightsevent.com (i assume its the same with the light fest, i cant find any review on the nightlightsevent though) but now i figure will just try my luck later on sept 2019 when they do it in poconos.
You learn something new every day. I’ve never heard of the lantern festival in Chiang Mai Thailand. Very unusual and interesting article. Thank Nikki