Submitted by Steve Lotspeich. Each year Waterbury celebrates a River of Light Parade in our downtown. The River of Light is Waterbury’s Community Lantern Procession. The event started In December 2010, when artists Gowri Savoor and Angelo Arnold worked with school art teacher MK Monley and the students of our Primary School to create over 150 willow and tissue paper lanterns for the first event. Since then the parade has grown to include many lanterns of all sizes that are created by students and other community members. This year the parade date is Saturday, December 3rd starting at 5:00 PM sharp at the Brookside Primary School parking lot on Stowe St. The parade route will leave the Primary School and finish at Dascomb Rowe Park on N. Main St. The River of Light festival will continue through the evening at the park with hot chocolate, a bonfire and fiery entertainment.
The lead up to the River of Light parade includes Community Lantern Building Workshops at Brookside Primary School on Sunday, November 13th with two sessions from 10:00-12:00 and 1:00-3:00. Participants will work with artists Mame McKee, Sarah-Lee Terrat, and MK Monley to build a simple lantern to carry in the 12th annual River of Light Lantern Parade. For further information go to the River of Light website at this link: Home | waterburylightparade (ariveroflightinwaterbury.org)
