Jun 23, 2023 - Things to Do
What you'll see at the Chinese Lantern Festival
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What a light show! Photo courtesy of Tianyu Arts & Culture/Jeff Fusco
One of Philly's most Instagrammable events is back.
Driving the news: The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival brings 34 dazzling displays to Franklin Square, including a new sea dragon.
- Running through Aug. 13, it celebrates the Year of the Rabbit with plenty of chances to snap pics. Chinese folk artists also return for the first time in four years.
By the numbers: Glowing lantern installations required 20,000 square feet of silk and 16,000 feet of electric cables to construct.
- The head of the red dragon, a fan favorite, required a crane to install.
- The installation is composed of 70 pieces, weighs 6,000 pounds and is roughly the length of three school buses.
Food and drink options: There'll be vegetable fried rice and dan dan noodles from Sang Kee Noodle House.
- Rice balls and fried ice cream from Oishii.
- And specialty drinks, such as a Firecracker, made with coconut rum, Triple Sec and cranberry juice, from the Dragon Beer Garden.
Cool new things: A 100-foot dragon tunnel and an interactive fortune-telling wall.
- This year's Franklin Square Fountain Show, a musically choreographed light and water production, features “Little Apple” by Chopstick Brothers.
Details: Open daily from 6pm-11pm, with timed tickets on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Tickets: Adults: $22+; teenagers aged 13-17: $20+; children aged 3-12: $14; seniors and active members of the military: $20+.
