BRIGHT figures of birds and flowers filled the winter-dark streets this weekend, as the Lantern Parade followed its now-traditional route through the north-east of town to Grosvenor & Hilbert Park.
The event, organised by the Camden Road Education Arts and Theatre Enterprise (CREATE), has been an annual fixture of the town for over a decade now, despite the need for a virtual event in the pandemic year of 2021.
This year’s ‘Secret Garden’ theme was taken up by local families and artists, who designed and made a vast array of colourful lanterns both large and small.
The celebration of community and creativity features music from Paddock Wood-based samba band Bloco Fogo and the Tunbridge Wells Sea Cadets’ TS Brilliant band.
The RTW Round Table fundraising organisation and Royal Victoria Place (RVP) supported the event which started in Calverley Precinct outside RVP at 5.30pm on Saturday (February 4) and wended its way to Grosvenor & Hilbert Recreation Ground.
Lucy Edkins, part of the Winter Lantern parade organisation team, said: “The Winter Lanterns festival is funded by donations each year with both CREATE and the parade being run by local volunteers.
“We are a purely community driven and organised event which is funded through donations from our local community.”
