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8th Annual Lantern Lighting Celebration at Lakewood Cemetery
September 16, 2022 @ 5:00 pm - September 18, 2022 @ 8:30 pm
Public Invited to Memorialize and Remember Loved Ones at Lantern Lighting Celebration at Lakewood Cemetery
Lanterns Decorated to Memorialize Loved Ones Create a Breathtaking Moment of Serenity, Commemoration and Connection
WHAT: 8th Annual Lantern Lighting Celebration at Lakewood Cemetery
Lakewood Cemetery invites the public to its eighth annual Lantern Lighting Celebration the weekend of September 16-18, 2022. The event offers an opportunity for people to celebrate the memories of loved ones by decorating, then releasing onto Lakewood’s Jo Pond a floating, candlelit lantern. This event is open to the public.
At the event, people can decorate a paper lantern sleeve with favorite pictures, messages of love, and other symbols of remembrance. At dusk, in a beautiful ceremony, attendees gather to release their lanterns onto Lakewood’s ten-acre lake, as the names of loved ones are read aloud accompanied by the stirring sound of bagpipes. The effect of the candlelit lanterns floating on the lake is breathtaking and magical, connecting people to their loved ones and to others who are remembering and grieving.
“Part of our vision at Lakewood is to bring more creativity to the ways in which we memorialize those we love and miss,” said Lakewood president, Chris Makowske. “Our Lantern Lighting Celebration is a way for people to hold space for remembrance in a beautiful and sacred place, through creative expression and in the comforting presence of others.”
Since its inception in 2015, the Lantern Lighting Celebration has grown — through strong community support — to more than 2,000 attendees in 2022. “Building on the long-term success of our Memorial Day event and our other seasonal celebrations, our Lantern Lighting Celebration is one of many ways Lakewood makes memorialization more relevant, accessible and inviting for all generations,” Makowske said. “The response from the community has been overwhelming.”
Throughout the event, guests can enjoy live music, food and refreshments from local food vendors, and the beauty of Lakewood’s scenic grounds. Self-guided tour brochures of the cemetery will also be available.
WHERE: Lakewood Cemetery
3600 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55408
WHEN: September 16-18
5:00 – 8:30 p.m. each night*
*Attendees have the option of choosing one of three evenings to honor their loved ones – Friday, September 16th, Saturday, September 17th or Sunday, September 18th.
COST: Admission is free, but there is a fee per lantern: $7 in advance or $10 at the door.
TICKETS: Purchase HERE
MORE INFO: https://www.lakewoodcemetery.org/event/lantern-lighting-celebration-2022/
Visit Youtube to watch a short video from a previous year’s event or watch this longer video to hear attendees speak about their experience.
About Lakewood: A Place to Remember
Lakewood is a serene haven in the heart of Minneapolis’s renowned Chain of Lakes—a place to come together to honor, remember and reflect. Since 1871, Lakewood’s 250 acres of urban memorial parkland have served as a community gathering place and a chronicle of our region’s traditions, cultures and people. A history keeper and a thought leader, Lakewood honors its roots as a landmark cemetery while reimagining its role in modern life, through thoughtfully designed events, experiences and spaces.
Today, Lakewood makes memorialization more relevant, accessible and inviting for new audiences and generations—with more creativity and choices. As a nonprofit organization governed by a board of trustees, Lakewood is committed to preserving and enhancing our grounds and architectural treasures, and we use proceeds generated from activities and events for that purpose.
We invite you to discover and explore Lakewood for yourself.