by Gabriella Vukman
The deepest, darkest night of the year was no match for the torrents of torchlight that radiated out of Belgrave’s very heart this past weekend.
As hundreds of happy lantern folk marched through the streets, this year’s Belgrave lantern festival made no exceptions when it came to spreading community winter cheer.
Belgrave lantern festival event coordinator Jeremy Angerson said, “I think this year the community has really rallied around this event in a time where people, families and businesses are doing it particularly hard with inflation and rising cost of living pressures and increased interest rates and the like, and they’ve said ‘whatever that gap is that we need to fill to make sure this event happens, we are going to fill it.’”
“It’s a wonderful celebration of camaraderie that’s helped make the lantern festival very special this year. So many people have got behind it in small and large ways,” Jeremy said.
“Everyone wants to come out on this cold, long solstice night to see each other and just celebrate together,” Jeremy said.
Jeremy has been involved in the Belgrave lantern festival for four years.
“Part of my job is seeking additional funds as sponsorship. This year we’ve got Optus who has come on board and our ongoing partner Bendigo bank has chipped in as well,” Jeremy said.
“There are also the smaller funding portions that happen through the Belgrave Traders Association to help tally up the dollars so that we can get this big, rather lavish, and increasingly expensive community event over the line,” Jeremy said.
From the local CFAs to small businesses, the Belgrave lantern festival is a testament to the Hills community.
Jeremy said, “It is a strange occurrence but it is something that the hills communities are addicted to. “The customs, practices and rituals that we love and get devoted to to help make our little neck of the woods special and unique which is what Belgrave is.”
“I suppose a big heartfelt thanks from the belgrave traders to the local community and to our sponsors for continuing to love this light that illuminates in winter,” Jeremy said.
“I think the lantern festival is a reminder to us all of the importance of the community flame and in particular how we come together and acknowledge the great things that we do in our own backyard. The things that make our own area unique.”
