Over 6 days of community workshops, Junction Arts worked with 401 local adults and young people to create lanterns that they have been planning all year round. Proving the thought and detail that goes into the event, participant Mark Phillipson, even has his lanterns mapped out for the next five years!
This year the team worked with artists Jess Kemp and Katie Petraitis who helped us bring lanterns to life from single pieces of willow to full-scale reindeers, popular film characters and animals including birds of paradise, sausage dogs, guinea pigs and jellyfish. The imagination and ideas from local people continue to wow us and this year we saw a family tree memorial to celebrate the lives of two dear fathers and a beautiful shipwreck in an aquarium. Thank you to all our lantern makers for your generous donations towards materials and refreshments and for being involved year after year, it really is a pleasure.
Bolsover Lantern Parade
“We are a lucky little town to have such a great event that brings us all together” Lindsay Fish – Bolsover participant
This year’s Bolsover Lantern Parade saw over 750 people walk the Parade with their incredible lanterns and an estimated crowd of 4000 visitors watched from the Castle courtyard and streets.
With performances by local poet ‘Babs’ Barson from Bolsover Rhythm and Rhyme and Derbyshire musicians Gareth Icke and Jamie Thrasavoulou, the 26th year seemed especially successful with an amazing turn out of local people. The faithful Handmade Samba Band created the heartbeat of the Parade, joined by two fire and LED hula hoop performers.
The Lantern competition is growing increasingly hard to judge as four judges got together representing Bolsover Castle, Old Bolsover Town Council, Arts Council England and Wilkins Vardy. We are thrilled to announce the following winners:
Best Pro: The Genie
Best Medium: Forky & Knifey
Best Small: Dracula
Most Magical: Jellyfish
Most Memorable: The Shipwreck
JA Staff Pick: Bird of Paradise
Best Newcomer: The sausage dog
We want to thank Bolsover for your talent, creativity and commitment for coming together and making the Christmas Festival and Lantern Parade the best day in Bolsover’s annual calendar!
As a small charity with an event that is becoming bigger and better than we could have ever anticipated we need to ask even more from our supporters and attendees. If any local people are willing to don a high-vis steward vest and support us on the night we would love to hear from you! Please get in contact by emailing info@junctionarts.org. Can you help us raise £10,000 for the 2020 Lantern Parade? Even just £1 would go a long way to support our fundraising goals. You can donate on our website.
