By Tanya Faulkner
Victorians flocked to Belgrave to celebrate the longest night of the year, and experience the arts culture of The Hills.
Every nook and cranny of Belgrave’s main street was alive with creativity and connectivity as part of the annual Lantern Festival, packed with locals and visitors alike, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the variety of lanterns on offer for the evening.
Large crowds of people of all ages were treated to bright works of art, with a replica Tardis, Australian native wildlife, and childhood movie characters brought to life in the form of vibrant lanterns marching down the street.
Alongside the famous lantern parade, those who ventured out in the cold were also treated to live music from several local artists from around The Hills, the Artisan Night Markets with a wide selection of treats and treasures to warm up the festivities.
Belgrave Traders Events Coordinator Jeremy Angerson said it was a big lead up into this years’ event, experimenting with some new entertainment and opportunities for locals to experience Belgrave and what the festival has to offer.
“We had multiple entertainment areas around the town for people to enjoy, including a DJ down Blacksmiths Way around the new mural artworks,” he said.
Leading this years’ parade was Belgrave’s own CFA crew with their new celebratory torch Lantern, in celebration of 100 years supporting the community, which Mr. Angerson said was a first.
“We had the local CFA lead the parade and they did a lap of the street before the actual lantern parade commenced,” he said
In a post on Instagram, CFA member Renate Crow said it took over 3 workshops, working with the youth team to build their centenary lantern.
Amongst the parade were other local community groups and schools, including Raqs Sharqi/Oriental Style DancerJanelle and her troupe, fire dancers and bagpipes, and community members of all ages with their hand-made creations.
Thousands of people participated in the parade, with thousands more packing the street full from top to bottom.
“It was packed wall to wall along the whole street, similar to last years’ parade, and it was great to see big numbers turning out for the second parade since Covid,” said Mr. Angerson.
Overall the event was a big community effort, with several local sponsors backing the festival for another year, some jumping on board for the first time, and good will from locals doing a lot of kind and caring things to help bring the night to life.
In the lead-up to the weekends’ festivities, several lantern-making workshops were hosted within the Belgrave community to inspire local creatives and pitch in to make some fantastic works of art.
Mr. Angerson said it’s good to see people coming together and enjoying the festivities, and enjoying what Belgrave is famous for.
“Overall the feedback from the community and on social media has been really positive, with a lot of comments about the size and people asking for a longer event, which has been great to see,” he said.
