INDIANAPOLIS — The annual Feast of Lanterns will be held on Saturday, Aug. 24 from 4-11 p.m. at Spades Park, 1800 Nowland Ave. Admission is free and this is a family-friendly event.
This year, the Feast will feature over 70 vendors, plus live music, food trucks, beer & spirits, and a family-friendly atmosphere. At dusk, the lanterns are lit, and the park is transformed into a magical celebration of all the things that make the east side a great place.
The Feast of Lanterns is a historic festival based on the near eastside of Indianapolis. In the late 1800s, there are reports of small gatherings and decorated front porches in nearby neighborhoods like Woodruff Place. By 1909, the neighborhood events had merged into a single, larger festival that took place in Spades Park. Neighbors came out to hang paper lanterns that were lit (first by candles and later by electric lights) at dusk, transforming the park into a wonderland. The park, historic bandstand, and numerous bridges were illuminated by the colorful lantern lights. Nearby homes would participate by decorating their porches.
The tradition persisted through World War I, the Roaring 20s, and Prohibition. However, the event was eclipsed by World War II and changes in the neighborhood. The Feast of Lanterns was all but forgotten by the community.
However, in the early 2000s neighbors from Windsor Park and Springdale wanted to start an outdoor music festival and community gathering event and re-discovered the historic Feast of Lanterns festival. The theme of colorful lanterns lit throughout the park was incorporated with local music, craft vendors, and neighborhood booths. Eventually the event was hosted by Near Eastside Community Organization (NESCO) for more than a decade. In 2015, NESCO announced they would not be hosting Feast as part of their efforts to reorganize and refocus as an organization.
This year’s Feast of Lanterns, hosted by Lanterns Foundation, brings a refocus on the origins of the event, local neighbors and neighborhoods working together to not only put on a festival but also to build community.
Visitors can park in designated areas, but should avoid taking up street parking for residents in Windsor Park or Springdale. Be sure to be there at dusk when the lanterns are illuminated and the whole park turns into a sparkling jewel!
