4th Year Of The Beacon Spring Celebration Of Light Will Light Up On February 22, 2025
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SCHEDULE: Full schedule for the parade and pre-parade lantern making is below.
Beacon is lighting up the 3rd week of February, with the 47th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and parade stepping off on Monday, February 17th, followed by the 4th Annual Beacon Spring Celebration Of Light on Saturday, February 22nd.
You are best recommended to wear your snow suit for this one! Taking place at night, the past iterations have been blowy and icy. But manageable. Bring hand-warmers.
According to the event’s press release, inspired by the many cultures that celebrate the end of the winter with light, Beacon residents Jessica Jelliffe and Christine Wang, along with many community collaborators are putting on this free and open evening event celebrating the coming spring, lunar new year, light, hope, warmth, renewal and kids! “2025 is the year of the Wood Snake, and we are excited to feature our signature hand-made Snake-themed giant lantern co-created with community members each year,” say the Jessica and Christine. “Everyone is welcome!”
The organizers explain that many cultures around the world celebrate the coming of spring with light festivals. Thousands of lanterns are released in the sky during Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, fires and candles lit in honor of fertility goddess Brigid in Ireland, bonfires in Switzerland and Germany for Walpurgis Night (tho it’s not clear why Walpurgis Night would want to ward off witchcraft, since witchess can be good!), lighting candles for Passover, a 5 day fire fiesta in Valencia Spain to name a few. “Beacon Spring is our own big town/small city festival celebrating light in the Hudson Valley,” they say.
Phase 1 Of Beacon Spring Celebration Of Light
Beacon Spring Celebration of Light festivities begin a month before with Free Lantern Making Workshops in collaboration with Desmond-Fish Library, Howland Public Library, Newburgh Free Library, and Beacon Farmers Market. Registration links are below. You can make your own lanterns for the parade! The organizers will bring the materials. You bring the inspiration.
The main event takes place on Saturday, February 22nd beginning at 5:30pm with a Lantern-filled Parade from Polhill Park down Main Street accompanied by Street Beat Brass Band, Beacon Bike Coalition with decked out bicycles, and local businesses with their personalized lanterns. The parade concludes at The YARD (4 Hanna Lane) where the party continues and community members are welcome to arrive throughout the evening.
The celebration at The YARD will include tunes by DJ John Giunta, a send off of last year’s Dragon lantern and a welcoming for this year’s SNAKE lantern. DayDream Collaborative Clinic will be hosting an area for healing and reflection. Barb’s Butchery will be providing their famous sandwiches. Vegetarian sides will be available. Hot ginger tea and water will be available for free as well as adult beverages for purchase from The YARD. All food and drinks are available with both paid and free options.
Bonfire at The Yard.
This year the festival will also be collaborating with the Foundation for Beacon Schools' Student Film Festival to document the event and engage aspiring student filmmakers. The final documentary will be screened as part of the annual Film Festival. More details will be coming soon. Interested students should reach out to Beacon Spring for more information.
Free Lantern-Making Workshops
Beacon Spring Celebration of Light brings the materials, you bring the inspiration.
Open to the public, some libraries may require prior registration:
Saturday, January 18, 2:30 - 3:30 - Desmond-Fish Library (free register here)
Sunday, January 26, 1pm & 2pm - Howland Public Library (free register here)
Saturday, February 1, 2:30 - 4:00 - Newburgh Free Library (free register here)
Sunday, February 9, 10:00-2:00 - Beacon Farmers Market (drop-ins welcome)
Parade Participants walking from Pohill Park.
Beacon Spring Celebration of Light - The Big Day
This is the centerpiece of the festival. The big day!
Saturday, February 22nd
5:30p - GATHER - Polhill Park - Main Street & South Ave
Bring lanterns, illuminate our light, line up and kick off the walk!
6:00p - PARADE - We have a rolling street closure so we’ll be in the middle of Main Street! Walk the length of Main Street with light and music and cheer!
6:30p - CELEBRATE - The Yard - 4 Hanna Lane
The Yard for the celebration event.
Display lanterns, drink tea and eat tasty morsels around the fire with tunes to dance to and more!
Beacon Spring Celebration Of Light Thanks Their Sponsors
“Huge thanks to the City of Beacon and our sponsors and collaborators for supporting the event: Banana Bag & Bodice, Barb’s Butchery, BeaconArts, Beacon Bicycle Coalition, Beacon Farmers Market, Compass Arts Creativity Project, DayDream Collaborative Clinic, Desmond-Fish Library, First Presbyterian Church of Beacon, Fareground, Katrina Ross Zezza, Kinoserge, Howland Public Library, Martin D. Fowler, Newburgh Free Library, Paloma Wake, Simon Keogh, Songbird, Street Beat Brass Band, Thundercut, and The YARD! Much gratitude to all of the volunteers, especially our volunteer coordinators Monika Aymar-Blair and Amy Miklos.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Michael Eaton, Joseph Hsu, Jean Huang, Simon Keough, Sergei Krasikov, and Scott Lerman.
Poster design by Thundercut.
*Beacon Spring Celebration of Light is fiscally-sponsored by BeaconArts. Tax-deductible donations can be made to support this community event at: https://www.beaconarts.org/support and scroll down to donate to Beacon Spring Celebration of Light.
