Lantern illuminates the night

Charlotte is looking up at the lantern she decorated and also waiting until she can launch her lotus flower. Picture: ROB CAREW 373032_02

The highly-anticipated Lynbrook Lake Lantern Festival lit up the community on Saturday 18 November at Banjo Paterson Reserve.

The festival was originally scheduled for October, but it was moved to a more weather-friendly date after careful consideration.

Unstoppable by the reschedule, it drew around 6000 residents to the lakeside.

Celebrating its 12th year, orchestrated by a committee of 12 from the Lynbrook Residents Association (LRA), the lantern festival showcased the tight-knit community’s spirit.

Evolution Music Lynbrook provided the stage and music for the atmosphere.

There was singing, dancing, fire and light shows, markets, rides, and roaming characters on the site.

Hundreds of meticulously decorated paper lanterns adorned the festival grounds, while as dusk fell, hundreds of floating lanterns graced the lake with many carrying heartfelt tributes to loved ones.

Volunteers from the community cleaned up the park and retrieved every lantern from the lake early Sunday morning.

President of LRA Scott Watson said the success of the Lynbrook Lake Lantern Festival mirrored their commitment to ‘With Community Comes Happiness’.

“It’s not just about lanterns. It’s about the fun, unity, and pride that is on display in Lynbrook when we come together as a community,” he said.

Star News photographer ROB CAREW captured the best of the action on the day.