Dec 15, 2024, was our 4th annual Light up the Night in Champlain Heights festival!
The day before our event there was an extreme windstorm, which brought down many branches and several trees along the trail. Luckily, we had the help of several Free the Fern volunteers and a local Landscaper, Andrew Pereda, to help clear the trail, in time for our lantern procession.
At 3pm, volunteers began to arrive to help set-up lanterns along the trail. We were grateful to be able to have support from the Everett Crowley Park Committee, including Stewardship Coordinator, Evie Osborn, President, Damian Assadi, and community volunteers. In total, we had a team of 16 for set-up. We placed lanterns made out of mason jars, milk jugs, and toilet paper rolls onto the trail. A variety of birds and animals made out of cedar and holly branches, were also displayed.
Joshua Ralph, lead artist, welcomed our 10 partner artists, who had created unique lanterns for our event. Lanterns included flickering fire flames, a colourful butterly, a muskrat, a crow, a hand cupped to an ear, 6 colour-changing mushrooms, and more!
After all the lanterns were set-up, Evie Osborn led the team “hot chocolate” team. Gratefully, we had access to the kithcen in the Kinross Creek Co-op common room. So, several volunteers took turns stiring pots of hot chocolate and then pouring them into a large dispenser.
While the hot chocolate was heating, we set-up an area for serving the hot chocolate and a wonderful assortment of cookies. These had been baked or donated by local community members and included many varities of delicious gluten-free and dairy-free cookies, including fern tarts, ginger cookies, sugar cookies, and chocolate cupcakes – yum!
Just after 6pm, members of the Carnival Band began to arrive with their colourful, glowing costumes and merry instruments. Their trumpets, drums, and saxsaphone, seemed to magically draw in local community members.
At 6:30pm, Grace Nombrado, Executive Director of Free the Fern, welcomed everyone, and passed the megaphone to Damian, President of Everett Crowley Park Committee, to also give a welcome.
We then began our musical lantern procession through the Red Alder Trail.
Beyond the beautiful lanterns, there were serveral suprises along the way. Moving up the trail, we looped around a small grove of cedars, dancing within them was a magical fairy (young dancer and actress, Julia Parker).
We also discovered the snowman, Olaf, dancing on the trail and a T-Rex stomping through the Food Forest. Just below the Food Forest, the Carnival Band paused to play a few songs. Over 100 community members, including many young children, enjoyed dancing and signing along under the stars. Jingle Bells was particularily a big hit.
We then returned to the Douglas Fir Teaching Garden and enjoyed some hot chocolate and cookies together. The full moon was shining between the trees, lending a beautiful glow over the garden. What a magical community celebration in the forest!
We are so grateful to:
- Park People and Neighbourhood Small Grants for providing funding
- Starbucks Champlain Heights for donating coffee and cups
- The Everett Crowley Park Committee for partnering with us for the first time
- 19 volunteers for helping with set-up, hot chocolate, and clean-up
- Local artists for building such beautiful lanterns
We couldn’t have done it without all of you!