The lantern parade, once a fixture of the Middlemark autumn and quietly dropped during leaner years, is to return on the last Friday of October, ending as it always did at the market cross.
The parade will set off at dusk from the recreation ground, cross the old railway bridge and process up Weaver’s Row before gathering at the square for music and hot food. Organisers are keeping the route deliberately short so younger children and older residents can take part on foot.
Getting involved
Lantern-making sessions are being held in the weeks beforehand, and the festival is open to contributions from across the valley:
- Free willow-and-paper workshops at the library on Saturday mornings
- A choir slot at the cross for any group that fancies a turn
- Volunteers to walk the route as stewards and lantern-carriers
The festival is being run on a shoestring, with no admission charge and a bucket collection towards next year. Organisers stress that the aim is a homemade evening, not a slick spectacle — chipped lanterns and slightly wonky willow frames are, they say, entirely the point.
Weaver’s Row will be closed to traffic from early evening. Residents on the route are asked to keep front gardens clear so the parade can pass without a scrum.
Related: Arts & Culture · market square events
Further reading: Lantern festivals
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