For over 110 years, Pacific Grove has celebrated its birthday by holding its multicultural and annual Feast of Lanterns. With elegant costumes, a Royal Court consisting of active middle school and high school girls, who will be awarded scholarships, costumes, teas, fashion shows, and of course the lighted lanterns that grace the bay at night, it’s a popular and wonderful local tradition. This year’s Feast of Lanterns will be held in late July (dates and main activities below), with the kick-off event in late June.
Among the many events currently scheduled at the time this post was created, are the following:
- July 23, 2016 – The Fashion of the Feast. This event takes place at noon, in the Asilomar Conference Centre at Merrill Hall.
- July 27, 2016 – Opening Ceremonies. At noon, at Chautauqua Hall downtown.
- July 29, 2016 – Feast of Flavors, and Feast of Lanterns Pet Parade. The first event starts at 11:30 a.m. at Chautauqua Hall. Gather for the pet parade at Caledonia Park at 2, as the parade begins at 2:30 p.m.
- July 30, 2016 – Kids Activities, Yoga with the Royal Court, and more. So this is the day not to miss. Activities begin at 11 a.m.
- July 21, 2016 – Closing Ceremonies. At Chautauqua Hall, beginning at 2 p.m.
The above is a partial list only, and according to the organizers, they’ll add more as time goes on. Please check the Feast of Lanterns website for updates. The event’s main website has all sorts of additional information about the history of the Feast of Lanterns, how it was revived in 1957, what’s been added along the way, and much more.
Below is an old video from the 1930’s that interprets part the story behind the Feast of the Lanterns:
This list was accurate at the time of publication; please check directly with the venue(s) to ensure dates, times, and locations remain the same.