By: A Slightly Overdressed Local Who Thought It Was a Costume Contest
If you’ve never danced under a canopy of lanterns while wearing a glow-in-the-dark unicorn onesie, you haven’t truly lived.
That’s my takeaway from this year’s Firelight Lantern Festival, held November 7 & 8, 2025, at the historic Crystal Palace in Picton, Ontario.
Hosted by the whimsical minds at the Department of Illumination, this annual event is basically Prince Edward County’s way of saying, “Let’s fight the darkness with art, music, and a whole lot of glitter.”
Firelight Lantern Festival – Quick Guide 🔥
When:
- Friday, November 7, 2025 – Adults-only night (19+)
- Saturday, November 8, 2025 – All-ages community celebration
Where:
- Benson Park (Parade kickoff & performances)
- Main Street, Picton (Lantern Parade route)
- Crystal Palace (Main venue for music, art, and festivities)
- Bluebird Building (Black-light installation & interactive art)
Highlights:
- Lantern Parade with hundreds of glowing creations
- Live music from Spencer Evans & the Goat Steppers, Cat Named Earl
- Fire performances by North Fire Circus
- Giant puppets, shadow puppetry, and interactive art
- Museum of Uncommon Phenomena – oddities and curiosities
- Glow-in-the-dark installations and community wishes
- Aurora Borealis Choir and other local performers
- Costumes galore – jellyfish, unicorns, disco snails (yes, really)
What Is This Glowing Spectacle?
The Firelight Lantern Festival is a two-night celebration of light, creativity, and community. Friday night is for the grown-ups (19+), with live music, wild performances, and illuminated art installations that make you question whether you’re in Picton or a parallel universe powered by fairy dust.
Saturday is the all-ages affair, starting with performances in Benson Park and culminating in a Lantern Parade down Main Street to the Crystal Palace, where the party continues with music, dancing, and more glowing things than a rave in a glow stick factory.
What I Saw (and What I Think I Saw)
Let me paint you a picture. I arrived at Benson Park just before 6 PM, lantern in hand (crafted at one of the community workshops for a very reasonable $15 shoutout to the Armoury basement crew).
The park was already buzzing with families, artists, and at least three people dressed as illuminated jellyfish.
The Aurora Borealis Community Choir serenaded us with songs about light, warmth, and possibly cheese (I was distracted by a toddler dressed as a glowing hedgehog).
Then came the North Fire Circus, who tossed flames into the air like they were juggling marshmallows. I gasped. I clapped. I briefly considered joining the circus until I remembered I’m afraid of matches.
The parade itself was pure magic. Hundreds of us marched down Main Street, lanterns bobbing, costumes sparkling, and music from Spencer Evans and the Goat Steppers keeping our feet moving and spirits high.
I danced next to a man dressed as a disco snail. I don’t know who he was, but I hope he won something.
Inside the Crystal Palace: Strange Magic Indeed
This year’s theme was “Strange Magic”, and the Crystal Palace delivered. Giant puppets loomed (friendly ones, thankfully), shadow puppetry stations let kids and adults alike create their own mini-theatre, and the Museum of Uncommon Phenomena offered curiosities that made me question reality or at least my eyesight after two mulled ciders.
There was even a black-light installation in the nearby Bluebird Building, where you could make a wish and hope it wasn’t just for more cider. The band Cat Named Earl played into the night, and yes, I danced. Badly. But enthusiastically.
Why It Matters
Beyond the glitter and fire-spinning, the Firelight Lantern Festival is about community. It’s about coming together as the days grow shorter, lighting up the night with creativity, and reminding ourselves that even in rural Ontario, magic is very much alive, especially when you’re surrounded by neighbours, artists, and a few glowing jellyfish.
Be sure to see Countylicious, another popular Fall activity.
