Kitchen Garden Guides

Monday, July 2, 2012

The Cygnet Lantern Parade

Cygnet is a tiny place, population wise, with the township sign announcing the population as 800. And yet, it seems much bigger; kind of like a little dog with a big heart. Have a look at this night shot of the Solstice Lantern Parade….. mid-winter, everyone rugged up and more people than I have ever seen in Loongana park,Cygnet, before….

image

Thanks to Steve for the photo, via the Huon Crier.

People went to a lot of trouble making lanterns for the parade, with the waterways theme of boats and sea creatures most prominent…. I was just decked out in a string of solar powered butterflies, which sadly do not show up in this photo…

image

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

image

image

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the parade reached the park, everyone descended on the lantern-lit soup and bread stall which gave out free sustenance to the enormous crowd before the shadow-puppet show began. This year the story was a local Aboriginal one of whales and eagles and sharks and how the coastline got its myriad of bays from the swishing of the whale’s tail. Apologies for my shocking photography!

image

image

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theresa did a fabulous job as the compare fairy, keeping everyone entertained between the acts. The wonderful evening ended with a bonfire and music.

Thanks must go, once again, to the Cygnet Arts Council who always do everything so well. But special congratulations should go to the people of Cygnet and beyond, who bothered to make lanterns and join in the mid-winter festivities.

No comments: