Vancouver is getting a winter solstice festival with secret lantern walks & labyrinths of light

Listen up, Vancouver. The Winter Solstice may be the darkest day of the year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find light and community connection in the process. In fact, the Secret Lantern Society is back with its annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival, which brings people across the city together to celebrate the cycles of nature and Vancouver’s local arts and culture scene.

The artist-led organization offers a variety of lantern-focused events and activities from now until December 21st, including Secret Lantern Walks at Yaletown’s Roundhouse Community Centre (8 to 9 pm on Thursday, December 21st) and the Strathcona Community Centre (6 to 7:30 pm), and two Labyrinths of Light ($11 per person) at the following times:

• Roundhouse Community Centre: 6 to 10:30 pm on Thursday, December 21st
• Performance Works on Granville Island: 6 to 10:30 pm on Thursday, December 21st

For those who don’t know, the labyrinth has long been used as a tool for meditation and prayer in cultures from across the globe. The two labyrinths above are created using over 500 beeswax candles, inviting participants to warm themselves in a self-guided ritual and release old attachments before the new season arrives.

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Visitors of the 30th annual Winter Solstice Lantern Fest will also get the chance to make their own waterproof lanterns at select locations using locally-sourced art supplies.

So there you have it, Vancouver. If you’re craving the return of the sun and warmth this fall, there’s no better way to ring in the new season.

30th Annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival 

When: Now until December 21st
Where: Locations throughout Vancouver