24 Dates in 2024

24 dates in 2024 – Date #11

If you ever asked yourself, “What’s that?” while hitting the curve of the Ben Franklin Bridge exit at twice the speed, you’re not alone.
For years, the massively vibrant displays tucked into the left-hand corner of the exit have sparked the same conversation. 

“That looks interesting; we should check it out sometime.”
“Yeah, we should.”

17 years later, we made the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival, located in Franklin Square, Date #11 of our 24 dates in 2024 a reality. In our defense, we were always headed somewhere else and never made it a point to “check it out.” 

This would be our second time in Franklin Park. The first was when we walked across the bridge, guided by a four-year-old marching us to the other side (our version of family fun) to discover a park filled with kids, parents, and beloved park benches. This four-year-old and his brothers would play for about an hour, not realizing we had to WALK back to Jersey. Everyone in the family carried that four-year-old over the bridge, including my six-year-old.

Don’t judge!

The park then was just that—a lovely park. What happens during the Chinese Lantern Festival is a complete transformation. Ushered into a storybook of art and history, brightly lit and wildly interactive, this was not what I was expecting! The life of the artwork ( yes, life because some of the art actually breathed on us!) before us emerged more magical while the sun slept.

The festival honors Chinese history and culture through towering, illuminating art installations, stage performances, and cultural connections like learning how to folk dance and make dumplings. Of course, a wide selection of food and beverage vendors were ready to provide tasty bites to park voyagers.

This date was otherworldly—but in our backyard. But isn’t that the way life rolls? Much of the time, you don’t even realize how often you defer local wonders. The park was an enchanting experience worth revisiting. The festival runs annually, and each year, new lanterns are added to the repertoire of wonderment.

Looking forward to visiting again, but this time with my dancing shoes. We highly recommend grabbing tickets for The Chinese Lantern Festival for your next date quickly. The festival is a limited-time event that runs until August 18. It’s best to purchase your tickets in advance here.