Shine Your Light with the Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade-in-Place!

Everyone is invited to participate from the comforts of your own home!

One of Atlanta’s most beloved, illuminated annual traditions is reimagined this September! For the first time, the Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade will take place throughout a multitude of Atlanta BeltLine neighborhoods. Everyone is invited to participate by parading-in-place at your own home and enjoy the spirit of the lantern parade online (or from the front of your home, if you’re lucky)! Created and hosted by Chantelle Rytter and the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons, the lantern parade will expand from a one-night in-person procession to a week-long virtual celebration. Everyone is invited to bring your homemade lanterns out to your porch, balcony, yard, and windows to shine your lights!

The Lantern Parade-in-Place will take place September 21 through 26, 2020. While we will not get together in person this year, and discourage lantern parade parties or gatherings, your participation from your home will provide a unique way to spread joy across the city, celebrate creativity, and build community on a granular level while keeping Atlanta safe.

Everyone is invited to show off their festive lantern displays on social media by posting a photo of your decorated home or yard with #BeltLineParadeInPlace plus your residential block. The residences and neighborhoods that are the most lit might receive a surprise visit from the Krewe on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night, September 24-26! The Krewe of the Grateful Glutton’s giant lantern puppets and parade bands will make unannounced pop-up appearances in BeltLine neighborhoods between 8 and 10 p.m. The parade bands include some of Atlanta’s favorite musicians, such as Kebbi Williams and the Wolfpack, Black Sheep Ensemble, and Wasted Potential Brass Band.

While the surprise events will drive anticipation and excitement, followers will be advised to stay tuned into the Art on the Atlanta BeltLine social channels to catch live-streamed snippets. If you hear or see the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons on a sidewalk on your street, come out and enjoy from your porch, your window, your yard, or from a safe and respectful distance of others. Please do not join the pop-up parade and avoid congregating outside in groups that do not respect CDC guidelines for social distancing. The Krewe will have marshals on hand to enforce social distancing and will halt the Krewe’s pop-up events if people gather.

A digital map will contain live updates on where to see the best lantern light displays, so socially distanced neighbors can walk, bike, or drive around town to get your lantern love fix over the weekend. The map will be published on Monday, September 21, as a kick-off to the week. The Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons will monitor social media for the #BeltLineParadeInPlace hashtag and continually populate the map.

In lieu of lantern workshops this year, lantern kits will be available for purchase from select retail shops starting in mid-August. Free, DIY lantern tutorials will provide fresh, fun ideas to explore your creative side.

Krewe-designed yard signs will also be available for purchase to show off your lantern parade spirit.

The Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade debuted on the Atlanta art scene in 2010 with a few hundred people and continues to grow to include tens of thousands of lantern enthusiasts. While this year will be different, everyone is always invited to join in in the fun and lights of one of the most magical events of the season – with plenty of space!

For up-to-the-minute information on the Lantern Parade, visit art.beltline.org/lantern-parade.

Stay abreast of Art on the Atlanta BeltLine announcements and events at art.beltline.org, or follow us on social media:

Facebook: ArtontheAtlantaBeltLine
Twitter: @atlantabeltline
Instagram: @AtlantaBeltLine and @AtlantaBeltLineArt

The Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade is presented by platinum sponsors Cox Enterprises and Ponce City Market.

The 2020-2021 Art on the Atlanta BeltLine exhibition is presented by Georgia Natural Gas, Northside Hospital, and Ponce City Market. Additional sponsors include Kroger at the Silver level; WarnerMedia at the Bronze level; and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Flashpoint Artists Initiative at the Patron level.

Major support for this project is provided by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. Major funding for this organization is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. This project is also supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov. This program is supported in part by Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts.

City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs logo Fulton County Arts Council logo National Endowment for the Arts logo Georgia Council for the Arts logo

Atlanta BeltLine Lantern Parade-in-Place 2020 event graphic

4 thoughts on this article. Join the discussion below

  1. This is not acceptable to have crowds on our streets which means street closure and traffic. I and another neighbor are not in favor of this during a pandemic. Does the City know what you are doing? Are you getting a permit for every street that would prohibit traffic in and out of our homes? Why don’t you just do it on the Beltline since most people don’t wear masks anyway.

    1. Please don’t worry. We are just bringing out a few of our illuminated giant puppets and a handful of musicians for quick surprise visits. No one will know where we are going to be or when so there will be no crowds. There are no street closures. We will just walk down the sidewalk with a happy beat and hope to make a folks smile.

  2. It would actually be great to have more advance notice. I have little kids that would love to see the parade … so advance notice would help us know when to be ready … especially if we might need to walk a few streets over.

    1. Hi Michael – in order to honor social distancing and to avoid crowds gathering, the pop-ups will be a complete surprise and won’t be announced in advance. We will broadcast parts to social media for people to see virtually. Thanks! ~Jenny

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