Lantern Fest lights up the night with magic and history on Saturday, November 19 from 6-10 pm at Crooked River Lighthouse Park, 1975 Highway 98 West, Carrabelle, FL. This unique, outdoor birthday celebration is best known for its awesome display of over a hundred colorful, hanging lanterns like candles on a cake. Special activities include amazing music by The Bottom Dollar Boy$, spectacular glow-in-the-dark performance from the Tallahassee Community College Dance Company, special evening tower climbs, ancient crafts demos, enchanting glowing lantern display, museum displays, gift shop, and delicious food and desserts for sale. Advance admission is $10 for adults and $2 for children for an evening of music, dance, ancient craft demos and glowing lantern displays.
Featured on this year’s program will be a remarkably gifted and entertaining musical group, The Bottom Dollar Boy$. This group has been delighting audiences for over 40 years, with traditional Bluegrass harmonies and mighty fine pickin’. They’ve been toilin’ in the fields of Bluegrass, Old Country, Gospel, Americana with a pinch of Blues.
The talented Tallahassee Community College Dance Company will dazzle guests on the outdoor stage with their superb choreography, amazing talent and imaginative use of glow-in-the-dark props. Master Zheng Player, Dr. Haiqiong Deng, will be returning to Lantern Fest to join the TCC Dance Company for part of their performance. The Crooked River Lighthouse is honored to have this international renowned player of the 21-string Chinese gu-zheng (zheng) perform again.
In addition to fabulous dance and music performances, over a hundred colorful, hanging lanterns will be on display throughout the grounds of the lighthouse park. Many of these lanterns are truly works of art and have been painstakingly hand-made by the incredible Joan Matey and other gifted local artists. John Pfund will set up his blacksmith forge and Ken Horne will weave useful rope from local plant fibers as the two ancient crafts demonstrators. Delicious food will be available for purchase from two vendors this year - the Crooked River Grill and the African Spice food truck!  The Beacon Bistro will be selling delectable desserts and coffee. 
Bring a chair and come revel in this unique birthday party of the 1895 maritime landmark as it turns 127 years old. Advance tickets are recommended as this event sells out. Cost is $10 for adults and $2 for kids in advance and includes an evening of music, dance, ancient craft demos and glowing lantern displays. (Food and tower climbs available for additional cost so please bring cash.) Tickets are available at www.crookedriverlighthouse.com or in the gift shop Wednesday thru Sunday. Advance ticket sales will close when this event sells out or at 5 pm on November 18. For more information, contact (850) 697-2732 or carrabellelighthouse@gmail.com. Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council. Special thanks to the City of Carrabelle.