JAMESTOWN — The Winter Lantern Festival will illuminate Jamestown Settlement this season with a dazzling display of color, culture, and community from Nov. 13 through Jan. 4.
Hosted by Kaleido Arts & Entertainment Group, the event blends centuries-old Chinese tradition with a modern winter celebration.
“This is our first year in Jamestown,” said XiaoTian Falig, CEO of Kaleido Arts & Entertainment Group.
The company launched its first festival on Staten Island, New York, inspired by lantern festivals Falig’s family attended in China.
“In China, they would have these lantern festivals during the wintertime,” she said. “It was a big family thing, people would go out, bundle up, and enjoy the lights together.”
After a pause in 2020 due to the pandemic, the festival returned as a drive-through experience before resuming its traditional walk-through format in 2022. This year, the Jamestown edition will feature designs that reflect the area’s history.
“Jamestown has a very unique and special exhibit,” she said. “We brought in lanterns like porcelain vases and a dragon piece with lights and colors that tie into their theme.”
The event will also include live performances by the Zigong Acrobatic Troupe, an award-winning group that became a crowd favorite when it debuted last year. Performances run throughout the evening, with 20-minute shows every hour.
“People really enjoy it,” she said. “They also try and engage the audience as well.”
Falig said the festival was designed to appeal to everyone.
“We want it to be something that is for everyone, for families, for retired couples looking for a walk after dinner, maybe a small date night,” she said.
That inclusivity is a defining part of the event. Falig recalled a guest who thanked the team for making the festival accessible.
“She said this is one of the very few outdoor events that her kids can enjoy because they’re in a wheelchair,” she said. “We thought that piece was really special.”
Visitors can expect an approximately one-hour experience featuring a guided lantern path, cultural exhibits, and live entertainment. Each lantern display is designed in collaboration with artists in both the United States and China.
“We have a chief lantern designer,” she said. “We design both in-house here in the States and also back in China. The bigger pieces are made there and shipped over.”
For Falig, the heart of the festival lies in sharing Chinese heritage with new audiences.
“To be able to share not only the lanterns, but also the culture behind them, that’s important to me,” she said. “I feel very happy when people know a little bit more about what the dragon means or what the Chinese zodiac represents.”
She compared the festival to the spirit of Thanksgiving, emphasizing family, food and gratitude.
“It’s about gathering together and wishing for prosperity, health and good luck for the next year,” she said.
The Winter Lantern Festival runs Thursdays through Sundays from 5 to 10 p.m. at Jamestown Settlement, with the last entry at 9 p.m. Learn more here. Tickets start at $18 and are available through the festival’s website.
