On Thursday night we went to see the opening of the Magical lantern Festival in Small Heath Park in Birmingham. I’ve never been to an event like it so I was really interested to see what it would be like. We were really lucky because the weather was cold but dry and the moon was shining.
It was hard to find parking as the usual place we park at Kings Heath Park was closed. I would recommend arriving by public transport. The bus stop is just outside the park entrance so you would be there straight away.
The event was opened by the Lord Mayor and we were treated to a traditional Chinese dance featuring an amazing dragon. The girls were so excited as they had never seen a dragon dance and they were thrilled when they were given fortune cookies each. Hopefully, this means we’ll all be getting some good luck.
The dragon led us out to the start of the trail where we counted down to switch the lights on. It was very exciting to see the whole park lit up with colourful lights.
The light show is so bright. They are really incredible.
I liked the fact that although there are some Christmas displays they are not too Christmassy. There is a beautiful fairy castle.
The landmarks of Birmingham are illuminated.
The light displays are much bigger than I expected.
The girls particularly loved the polar bear displays. They were so cute.
There are some stands to buy hot food and drinks along the way and a section with funfair rides and Santa’s Grotto.
Charlotte enjoyed going for a ride on a pony called Charlotte. They also loved the trampolines. The rises cost about £2.00- £3.50 each so take some spare change. You can pre-book tickets for the Grotto which costs £10 and includes a gift. We didn’t do this as we are going to a different Grotto on Sunday.
The detail on the lanterns is really exquisite. We loved the eyes on the little elves.
You can walk amongst the lanterns and get really close to see all the details.
The lanterns on the lake were a real highlight. There is a beautiful mermaid and a pair of swans.
I loved the ethereal reindeer lanterns.
If you’re looking for a fun and different night out then definitely consider a night at the Magical Lantern Festival. It is on until the 1st January so there is plenty of time to visit. Tickets start at £9. The festival is open from 5pm to 10pm with last entry at 9pm.
Disclaimer: We were invited to the opening night for the purposes of this review.