Festival of Light and the Cardigan Giant Lantern Parade.
This year Small World Theatre is extending the joy of the Cardigan Giant Lantern Parade and lighting up more of the town as part of Cardigan’s first Festival of Light with the help of the community.
The Festival of Light / Gŵyl y Golau will run from 30th November to 20th December 2024 and has received financial support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as part of the Cynnal y Cardi Community Fund, which is administrated by the Cynnal y Cardi team on the behalf of Ceredigion County Council. As well as the magical Christmas lights and Christmas tree organised by Cardigan Town Council, there will be a Light Trail and a joined-up festival programme to include the many events happening at the end of November and in December. With permanently fixed giant lanterns on buildings, light displays, artists’ films, a light-themed exhibition at Canfas, there will be more to visit and celebrate this year.
Lantern Making Workshops
Programme of Events
Cardigan Giant Lantern Parade
NEWS
Public Lantern Making Workshops
Join the parade by making a beautiful lantern this year with Small World Theatre artists. Lantern Making workshops are listed on our Events page here.
Cardigan Giant Lantern Parade
Following a tradition that they began in 2016, we will create a splendid parade with giant lanterns, musicians and a river of pyramid lanterns. This year the theme is the river Teifi!
Here are the Parade arrangements.
PRESS
We announced that Cardigan Giant Lantern Parade will be held on 6th December this year following the hugely successful revival of the town’s event in 2023.
The parade will be a major event within a new Festival of Light.
Ann Shrosbree, our Director said:
"We know that the Cardigan Giant Lantern Parade is an exciting celebration of creativity for the town at a time when many families are looking to take part in seasonal events. In 2016 we launched the first parade with Visit Wales funding and the support of Cardigan Town Centre Partnership. We’ve continued to grow the event with enthusiasm on behalf of our community, and we hope to build on everyone’s hard work to further enhance Cardigan's festivities with a town-wide Festival of Light to support the local economy."
Cardigan Giant Lantern Parade is announced along with plans for a new winter festival.
This project has the support of Cynnal y Cardi funded by Ceredigion County Council through UK Government funding. It will include engaging with local businesses and stakeholders to highlight the many local attractions, unique independent shops, cafes, restaurants, venues and bars that justifiably make Cardigan an exciting winter destination.
Councillor Clive Davies, Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet Member for the Economy and Regeneration, said:
“It was back in 2016 when I had the honour of being Mayor of Cardigan and we had the very first Cardigan Festival of light with its Giant Lantern Parade. Over the years this developed into a large-scale event with support from a number of funders, local organisations and volunteers. It became an attraction for people from further afield and impacted positively on the wider local retail and hospitality economy. By now even with the years of the pandemic disruption, we’ve been able to bring it back. Cardigan has a strong vein of creativity and can-do and once again Small World Theatre with their creative talent have brought together this exiting programme under a new Festival of Light. Through the funding we’re providing, this will support the continued success of the Giant Lantern Parade as well as the other planned events.”
Although December seems a long way off, plans will start in the spring. These include organising public transport to Cardigan from surrounding areas to the winter festival and working with local organisations to jointly promote their Christmas events. Councillor Elaine Evans added:
“We're all very excited to have a date in the diary for the Parade thanks to Ceredigion County Council supporting Small World Theatre. It's a magical event and one that brings great joy to residents, and especially to families."
Further details of the Festival of Light programme will be announced in the Autumn and until then, please save the date!
Photographs by Jennie Caldwell.
