China Lights will return to Boerner Botanical Gardens at Whitnall Park in Hales Corners from Sept. 13 to Oct. 20, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele and Festival Pro LLC announced today.
This will be the fourth year for the Chinese Lantern Festival, which has attracted more than 100,000 to Boerner Botanical Gardens each year.
“China Lights is a visionary festival that brings Milwaukee’s legacy of public art and iconic public parks onto the world stage,” said Abele. “This year’s festival is sure to help reshape the way people interact with Milwaukee County parks.”
This year’s festival, China Lights: Treasures of China, will be 95 percent new, featuring cultural gems recreated as lantern displays. The handmade displays range from three-feet to three-stories high. The festival will also include an expanded interactive exhibit area, two stages for Asian folk-culture performances, a marketplace, two dining areas and vendors offering a variety of Asian and Western menu options.
The Chinese Lantern Festival is a collaboration between Festival Pro LLC, a Milwaukee-based special-events producer and the Sichuan Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc., in cooperation with Zigong City and the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce. The presenting sponsor will be Tri City National Bank, and Tianyu Arts & Culture Inc. will organize China Lights.
“On a recent visit to China, I went to what is considered one of the greatest archeological discoveries of modern times – the terra cotta warriors. Seeing thousands of clay soldiers and horses guarding the tomb of China’s first emperor was an amazing experience,” said Ralph Garity, the event producer and president of Festival Pro. “Working with Tianyu, we’ll be bringing this and other cultural treasures of China to Milwaukee — in the form of lantern displays.”
“Magical is the best word I can use to describe the combination of this show at this location,” said Nicholas Bandoch, vice president of marketing at Tri City National Bank. “The displays are beautifully woven into the garden spaces. Boerner Botanical Gardens is simply the best venue to see this show, and, once again, Tri City National Bank is honored to present this amazing cultural experience.”
Online ticket sales for the 2019 China Lights festival will launch on Aug. 8.
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- Lantern festivals can be traced back to the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
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- 200-foot dragon lantern
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- A nightly illumination parade.
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- The primary corporate sponsors are We Energies Foundation, Miller Lite and Tri City National Bank.
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- The light show is part of a five-year campaign developed by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce to promote cultural exchange.
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- Milwaukee-based production company Festival Pro is producing the show on behalf of Milwaukee County Parks.
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- Travel Wisconsin received nearly $40,000 from the Department of Tourism to promote the event.
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- This is the first time China Lights has stopped in the Midwest.
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- The lantern festival will run Tuesdays through Sundays from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. through Nov. 6.
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- The fesitval also features acrobatic and dancing performances, as well as concessions.
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- The exhibit displays 40 Chinese light displays of dragons, floating lanterns and bright pagodas.
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- Milwaukee is one of only 100 locations to host the exhibit worldwide.
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- The Milwaukee iteration of China Lights has set attendance records.
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- The traveling Chinese lantern festival is displayed at the Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners.
