If you are looking for an event to take your breath away and to amaze the kids, the Dragon Lights Chicago Festival at Soldier Field is the perfect place to be. Each exhibit is custom built with 40 sets of larger-than-life, handcrafted light sculptures made of silk fabrics. These lanterns light up the night skyline. The massive dragon lantern display of over 200 ft long and 2 stores high with the head weighing over 600 pounds, my family and I attended and I must say I was impressed.
*This a sponsored post however, all opinions are my own
The festival is absolutely amazing. We took the VIP tour (which is worth taking and adds a special element to the event ). Our tour guide shared with us the history of the lanterns and why it is important to Chinese culture. The Chinese Lantern Festival comes originated from the Chinese myth that of a monster called Nian. Nian would come out and attack people. There was one old man that discovered that Nian was afraid of noises and lights so Chinese people began hanging lantern around their homes to scare away the monster.
The artists have gotten more advanced in the materials they use and instead of using paper, they now use the beautiful silk material and the displays we now see at Soldier Field are more extravagate. The displays are light with LED bulbs and one was made with pills and color dye.
Dragon Lights Chicago Performances and Cost
Performance Times:
Sunday-Thursday: Stage Performances: 6:30, 8:00 PM
Friday & Saturday: 6:30, 8:00, 9:00 PM
You can purchase tickets at the event. Tickets are good for any night of the current season that the event is open, including the extension. There is no refund due to rain, power outages, and/or other unforeseen conditions. There are no refunds for unused tickets.
Tickets are available online or at the door, no advance purchase is necessary. You can order tickets online. The show ends May 6, 2018.
(kids under 4 free
Each night of the festival offers two amazing stage performances each weeknight highlights Asian culture and art. Entertainment will be different each night. The acts include Spinning Tops, String Instruments, Juggling, Unicycle, Face Changing, and Martial Arts Demonstrations from China. We were fortunate to see the Face changing and more. My video is a small piece of one of the performers. I took more video, but again I did not want to spoil it for you all I can say is that you will be more than entertained. You will be impressed, inspired, and for me, I felt appreciative to the performers. They were moving and not skipping a beat despite the cold and wind.
Favorite Dragon Lights Chicago Displays
I encourage you to head over to Dragon Lights Chicago before the display is gone. Here are a few of our favorite displays. Take a peek at the beautiful displays, visit the different booths and learn more about Chinese knot tying, clay making, calligraphy, and glass bottle painting. You will even have a chance to purchase items while you are there.
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