Flushing Meadows Corona Park has become the center of excellence!
Queens Night Market, which has a soft opening there this Saturday, was recently deemed the Best City Food Festival in the entire United States by USA Today.
Not to be outdone, the Queens version of the Water Lantern Festival, which is the country’s best festival according to USA Today, is about to take place in the vicinity of the Fountain of the Planets in the same park on the following Saturday, April 20.
The gates open at 4:30 pm, and the program includes food trucks, activities, live music and a 7 pm workshop to design water lanterns with positive messages of healing, hope, love, and peace. The launch then runs from 7:30 pm to 9 pm as lanterns float in the fountain and light the night.
Admission to the Queens Water Lantern Festival runs from $28.33 to $55.99 per person. Each participant receives a wristband for access to the festival area, a floating lantern kit, an LED candle, a commemorative drawstring bag, conversation cards, playing cards, and a marker.
The price includes lantern retrieval, water clean up, and litter removal.
“This Water Lantern Festival creates a beautiful and unique way to share your hopes, dreams, and aspirations,” stated Event Director Nate Sorensen. “It’s a night that you will never forget.”
“We are ecstatic to be recognized by USA Today,” added Festival Co-founder Mike Schaefer. “Our team works very hard to create an incredible experience for our guests, where people from all walks of life come together to share a uniquely emotional and memorable community experience.”
Headquartered in Logan, Utah, the Water Lantern Festival began in 2018 with events in 34 cities. Since then, it’s expanded to more than 100 cities, including ones in Canada and Mexico.
Images: Water Lantern Festival