Slide 1 - copy
Ulverston Lantern Festival, Ulverston Events, Events Cumbria
Ulverston
Lantern Festival
14th September 2024
Slide 1 - copy
Ulverston Lantern Festival, Ulverston Events, Events Cumbria
Ulverston
Lantern Festival
14th September 2024
previous arrow
next arrow

All processions should merge in the County Square between 8:25pm and 8:35pm, and proceed together into Ford Park (8:45 onwards) to join the Finale from 9.15pm. All timings are approximate and may vary by a few minutes.

(i) Please assemble in good time as stewards need time to organise everything for a prompt start. All children under 12 should be accompanied by a responsible adult.

(ii) Stewards will be ready with carrying canes for lanterns; they will have kits for lighting lanterns – adults (not children!) may help.

(iii) The Head Steward of your group is in charge of safety and will be in radio contact with other processions. Processions will have Police escorts with radio contact around town and first-aiders provided by St Johns Ambulance

(iv) Stewards will ask you to slow down /wait/ speed up… this is because their job is to keep the processions moving together and bring them to County Square at the correct time.

(v) Stewards are present in case of the lanterns blowing out / catching fire/ accidents and other problems. They will have fire extinguishers, spare candles etc. Every steward will be wearing a bright yellow hi-vis waistcoat – please tell them as soon as any problem arises.

(vi) PLEASE CARRY YOUR LANTERNS VERTICALLY AND WELL UP IN THE AIR. This is important for your own safety and that of everyone else. It also ensures that they will be clearly seen by all the spectators

(vii) If anyone gets lost on the field, please arrange to meet up at the Control Point near the gate.

(viii) It is a good idea to wear warm, natural fibre clothing, sensible shoes and a hat, and please bring a sense of humour.

PLEASE HAND YOUR CANE TO A STEWARD OR LEAVE IT IN ONE OF THE TUBS NEAR FORD PARK GATE, SO WE CAN USE THEM NEXT YEAR.

Ulverston Lantern Festival is organised by the ULF Group A not-for-profit community group.

On the night

Four processions will start at different points around the town from 7.00pm onwards, and come together in County Square outside the Coronation Hall around 8.00pm. They will create a River of Light winding through the streets up to Ford Park for a big firework finale starting around 9.00pm. The town centre will be closed to traffic between 7.00pm and 10.00pm. There will be a strict traffic ban – no vehicles except emergency services can move while the roads a subject to official closures. Anyone parked in the town centre cannot leave car parks until the streets reopen.

A true community event, the Lantern Festival is self-funding and appreciates the support of Broughton-based education specialists CGP Books, the Eric Wright Charitable Trust Ulverston Town Council and the Town Land Trust

However, the biggest proportion of the £10,000 needed to run the event each year comes from sales of Lantern Kits and the money collected from spectators on the night itself to ensure the continuation of Cumbria’s biggest night of free sparkling entertainment.

The event also relies heavily on volunteers to step up and help organise the procession and keep everyone safe, so the small group of organisers is hoping for an influx of new people to help run the Festival.

Chris Nelson adds: “If we are going to keep the Lantern festival alive for future generations we need new volunteers. It is just 3 hours on a Saturday night, but every extra person we recruit helps to ensure that that Festival survives and prospers and remains a feature of Ulverston for everyone to enjoy.

“We also hope people will generously support the event on the night; just £1 from each spectator will ensure we can run the event again next year. Supporters can also donate money via Just Giving.com and scan the link on posters and publicity leaflets.

Contact Us

Ulverston Lantern Festival – Ulverston, Cumbria

Call us on 07761930627

Find us on Facebook