Chinese Lantern Festival

We went to the Chinese Lantern Festival on Friday evening.  It runs for five consecutive weeks, and this was the second week.  The light displays are beautiful!  Everything is outside, but we were blessed to have a warm evening.  In fact, we didn't need coats.  We were there 2 1/2 hours, from 7 until 9:30 p.m.  I recommend purchasing tickets ahead and going to will call.  The ticket line was HUGE.

The bright colors, especially the reds and greens, reminded me of Christmas.  I told Greg I want a bunch for our yard in December.  ;)  Not happening.  They probably cost a fortune, and where would we store them the rest of the year??

There were two one hour shows, one at 7 and one at 9.  We went to the first show, but I wish we'd waited until the second.  Ours was very crowded, and we ended up standing far off to the side.  (The second show had fewer people.)  There aren't many benches, so come early or be prepared to sit on the ground!

We had dinner at 8.  The meal is themed around a different region each week.  This week was inspired by the Shandong Region.  It included sea cucumber soup with a pork meatball and noodles, fried rice; fried sweet and sour carp with sweet potato, onion, and corn hash; and chopped apples with toffee crumble.  It was our first time to eat sea cucumber.  Greg wasn't brave enough, but Kylen and I were!  It was OK, but mine was crunchy inside?  Hmmmm . . . We also ordered two kinds of hot tea.

After dinner, we took a leisurely stroll around the rest of the loop.  :)

Can you see Greg's profile below?  I was trying to get him and Kylen both, but Kylen was being impatient.  I wish I had been more insistent.  It would have been even neater with both of them.

We'd like to go again next year.  :)  Of course, I had to count this as part of school: art appreciation, but it would also be great for social studies or geography.