Franklin Square To Host Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival This Spring
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Franklin Square will host the first ever Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival this spring, Historic Philadelphia, Inc. has announced.
The Festival, appearing for the first time in the Northeast United States, is a celebration of light and culture that features artisans from China and the Philadelphia region. It will take place from April 22 to June 12.
Franklin Square will glow with more than 25 illuminated displays of giant flowers, a three-story pagoda, a Chinese dragon and more. In addition to the light installations, visitors will also enjoy performances, crafts by artists, a variety of food options, and still be able to play mini-golf and ride the carousel at the Square.
"The festival will be setup throughout the park. It will be the first time that we'll really utilize the whole entire park," said Amy Needle, President and CEO of Historic Philadelphia, Inc. "In addition to these gorgeous, huge, 25 illuminated lanterns, there's going to be performances, artists and crafting, different culinary explorations."
"Franklin Square will be open as it is every day free to the public and there will be a fee in the evening," said Needle.
Throughout the 2016 season, Historic Philadelphia, the non-profit that manages and operates Franklin Square, will celebrate the park's 10th Birthday with special events and surprises.
"Franklin Square's 10th Birthday will be a fun-filled year, and we're excited to kick it off with the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square. Historic Philadelphia, Inc. is thrilled to be bringing this amazing showcase of Chinese culture to Philadelphia while partnering with local artists and chefs to create a rich experience for our visitors," said Needle, in a news release.
The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square is produced by the Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc. and its parent company, Sichuan Tianyu Cultural Transmission Co., Ltd. in cooperation with Historic Philadelphia, Inc.
Dates: Friday, April 22 - Sunday, June 12, daily
Hours: 6 p.m. - 10 p.m., nightly
Franklin Square will be open during regular daytime hours. After 6 p.m., the Festival requires tickets for entry. Tickets are available at the Festival entrance or online at www.historicphiladelphia.org. For groups of 20 or more, please contact Group Sales by calling (215) 629-4026 x209.
For more information, visit: http://historicphiladelphia.org/franklin-square/chineselanternfestival/.
KYW's Hadas Kuznits contributed to this report.
