Water Lantern Festival

Fun and creative event! Great for kids, families, and friends. The event was at Almaden Lake Park facing Almaden Expressway. We parked down the street in the Water district and walked down with our chairs and blanket. The event was well organized and once you arrived there were folks that checked you in and gave you a swag bag with your lantern kit and 2 sets of playing cards. There are a ton of food trucks, and vendors selling sweatshirts, flower wreathes, and ceramics. I recommend coming by 4:30 so you can get a good spot on the lawn for your chairs and blankets. The event had a live band playing and it was very peaceful music. It was decorated in hearts and quotes with "Gratitude" and "You are loved". It was a very calm and peaceful environment. Folks were decorating their lanterns and eating food from the food trucks. The food trucks had amazing food options of BBQ, Filipino food, Mexican, hot dogs, Chicken Strips, and Fruit teas. The organizer invited people to come on stage to share their lanterns and the stories behind those lanterns which were sweet. We started to launch our lanterns at 6 pm and you went to shore and pushed it into the water. It felt so peaceful! It was beautiful to see all the lanterns drifting out together. I did not the right side the lanterns drifted quicker than the left side. My kids loved the event and want to go again! I loved it and highly recommend it!

It's was a very pleasant and unique experience. I'd not done this before and wasn't sure what to expect. I thought it'd be a choke hundred people because it was Sunday night. But no. It must've been a thousand or more people!The energy was cool and mellow. People just out to have a good time. There was live music and people speaking their stories. The food trucks were pricey but food was decent. Very organized with lots of high school students working. The giveaways were pretty good. In addition to your water lantern, you got a couple decks of cards and a small little backpack. There was a brief meditation ceremony kind. There thru let us know when to put out lanterns in the water. It was cool to see all the lanterns floating. Pro tip: Launch yours from the far right side cuz the current takes them to the left.

One of the most magical events I've ever been to and would recommend anyone to try it at least once in their life! Best for kids, families, couples, friends and everyone alike. The event took place around the Peppertree picnic area at Almaden Lake Park facing Almaden Expressway. There is a parking lot there but it was cordoned off for food trucks area. Thus, it's better to come from Winfield-facing side of the park. We had no trouble finding street parkings on that side and it only took us 12-15 minutes to walk to the event area. Once you arrived, you'd get checked in by their volunteers, be given swag bags which contained your lantern kit and 2 sets of play cards. There were plenty of porta potties around. Food trucks area had an abundance of good choices for any of your preferences. You'd also have an option to purchase their cute sweaters (we did) or a lighted up flower wreath to wear on your head. I'd recommend come a bit early to find a good spot to sit down and bring your own picnic chairs or blanket. We didn't but we used our swag bags to sit on and it worked:) The event area was nicely decorated with inspirational quote like "You are enough", "You are loved", "Gratitude," etc. There was a stage with live band playing. Though there are many people here, it was not noisy at all and the ambience was peaceful. Later, the organizer invited people to come on stage to share their lanterns and the stories behind those lanterns, which I enjoyed a lot. The launch happened on time at 6pm after a quick calming and effective meditation. As you slowly put your lantern onto the water and pushed it ashore, you'd feel a sense of peace washing all over you. Your lantern drifted farther and farther away from you and gradually joined with other lanterns in the sea of dark water. It deeply touched me to realize how small my daily troubles were compared to the universe and my gratitude of being alive to witness this beautiful scene, just like what you watch in a movies. Overall, it's an organized, memorable and magical event. I highly recommend you try the next time they come back to San Jose :)

The Water Lantern Festival was a truly magical and memorable experience. Set in a beautiful park with plenty of open, grassy space, the atmosphere was serene and perfect for an evening of celebration and reflection. The location provided just the right amount of space for families, friends, and couples to come together, unwind, and enjoy the festivities.For anyone planning to attend, I highly recommend bringing a blanket or some foldable chairs to make your spot as comfortable as possible. The festival staff thought of everything to make it a smooth experience, with ample signage and friendly welcome booths where you could pick up your supplies. Each participant received a backpack containing a lantern, a marker, and intentional message cards, which was a thoughtful touch that made the experience feel meaningful.The event was very family-friendly, and my kids especially enjoyed decorating their lanterns. It was heartwarming to see them take such pride in crafting their designs and adding personal messages before we released them into the water. Watching them join others at the water's edge to set their lanterns afloat was both exciting and peaceful, creating an inspiring moment of shared joy and reflection for everyone.Beyond the lantern release, there was so much to enjoy. The festival featured small shop vendors and food trucks, offering a variety of tasty treats and unique finds. The volunteers were incredibly friendly and went out of their way to make sure everyone was having a great time, which added to the warm and welcoming atmosphere. With everything from crafts to delicious food options, there was something to keep everyone engaged.The only downside was parking, which was limited on the street and could be challenging, though we were lucky enough to find a spot in the lot nearby. It's definitely something to keep in mind for future attendees; arriving a little early might help with finding a spot.Overall, the Water Lantern Festival was a beautifully organized, family-oriented event that I'd recommend to anyone. It's a great way to come together, make memories, and leave feeling inspired. We'll definitely be back!

All in all, this was a solid event. I love the idea behind it.H-O-P-EAttending this event, I felt hope--hope for a better community, hope for a better world, hope to be better. Parking could have been better. We had to park at the Water District office and hoof it to the event. Unfortunately, there was no sidewalk for the entirety of the walk, so we ended up walking on the side of the expressway. There were clear directions to the check-in process, and we were given a bag with everything we needed inside, plus some extras. There were plenty of food truck options (I'm not going to lie--I tried five different food vendors). So bring a blanket and a jacket and if you want to draw on your lantern in different colors bring markers. We arrived about two hours before sunset, and we were able to find a bench to sit on, get food, eat, and decorate our lanterns. There was a Deejay, and the music selection was excellent. I loved the flags/banners everywhere, which reminded me of simple yet often forgotten concepts.Peace, breathe, love, kindness...Before the lanterns were released, they conducted a group meditation. I liked this idea and wanted to participate, but it was really challenging to hear the speaker.Overall, this is a great event, and I would do it again, but there are many areas that could be improved to make it even better.It is a great event for families!

Tonight was such a fabulous night for the Water Lantern Festival in Jersey City - Liberty State Park. The weather was perfect for this unique festival. Prior to attending, an event guide is sent out with pacing for the typical schedule. The event started at 5:30, but there was some flexibility for you to arrive later. At the entrance, I was given a drawstring bag with conversation cards and the lantern to assemble. There was also a scavenger hunt game. Prior to creating lanterns, there was live music, food trucks, and some neat vendors. I visited Carvel and Angry Archie's. There were definitely a lot of choices for the food trucks. Since I arrived earlier, I did not have to wait on a line. As the festival continued, it became more crowded with lines. Definitely arrive early! Some of the vendors included festival merchandise, crystals, and jewelry.The announcer also kept us on schedule and gave us a start time to release our lanterns around 8:30. Some guests also spoke on stage about what their lantern represented. There were directions how to assemble the lantern within the event guide. I enjoyed creating the lantern and thinking about my intentions and wishes I wanted to set out into the water. We were all led in a meditation before walking over to release our lanterns. The process was organized and very peaceful. It was so nice to see people come together and provide encouraging words to another.

What a unique and memorable experience! It's located at Almaden Lake Park. Yes, the lake is kinda stinky and there are bugs buuut if you can overlook all of that, it's actually an enjoyable and impactful event. I love what the festival stands for and how it brought together so many people from all different walks of life. There isn't a lot of parking around the lake so we decided to not stress and used a ride share service. When you check in at the tent you are given your goody bag with the lantern kit and two deck of playing cards. I recommend you show up early to get a good spot on the lawn and in the shade! Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, whatever you need to relax. They do allow outside food. My fiancé and I are vegetarian so we erred on the side of caution and brought our own food and it worked out nicely for us. There are food trucks but the food is pricy. There was great live music and a time for the public to share the lanterns they created. Once the sun starts to set lanterns can be launched into the lake and you can awe at the beauty of it all! I would definitely do this again next year.

This one is near Blossom Valley, san jose. Parking is tight, but they have guided to park in a nearby place and walk to the event. First, you register in the booth and get your playing cards, lantern, and marker all neatly in a bag.Then you had a lot of food trucks that covered almost all the cusine from mexican to filipino. After going around, we decided on the Filipino one where we ordered rice noodles and veg rolls.After that, we found a place for ourselves to prepare our lantern where we get to write our wishes, and it comes with a led lamp you can turn on and place it in center. We had to wait till it was getting dark. There was live music on the other side, but I didn't want to go in fear of missing the spot. Once it became dark, we placed the lantern in the lake and watched it moving slowly for some time and then returned.Overall, it was a different experience.

This was a wonderful event to go to! This was our first time and I was pleasantly surprised regarding the entire event. Getting checked in and getting our bags was easy, finding a spot to sit was good and out of the sun, we enjoyed decorating our lanterns, there was more than enough food to pick from the array of food trucks, and the music was pleasant and calming.What I enjoyed the most was watching people get immersed in drawing or writing on their lanterns, not worrying about their phones, having an actual conversation with one another, using the conversation cards that were part of the package, and just enjoying the event.We will definitely go to this even again!

This was such a fun experience on a warm summer night. It's a great place to take your family, friends or partner as a fun activity. We arrived around 6:30 to check in and received a welcome bag with goodies and the paper lantern to decorate. We stopped at the food trucks and got chicken tenders + fries, but there were so many other options!Make sure to bring a blanket or chair to sit on the grass. Around 9pm, we finally released our lantern and left around 9:30pm. Overall, it was a great experience, but I def recommend bringing your own food and drinks because the food trucks are overpriced.