Church Road in Redfield is expected to host its biggest ever Lantern Parade next year. The community group behind the event is raising money to create a series of community workshops in preparation for the big day.
The parade which did not go ahead in 2024 is being supported by Bristol City Council with £10,000 in match funding and has a National Lottery grant to support lantern making workshops. The theme for the 2025 parade is one that celebrates the natural environment around BS5 – from endangered tawny owls in St George Park to the rare bees up at Troopers Hill.
The popular parade which began in 2014 as a response to the ‘negative far right activity’ and violence in 2013. As a response to the summer riots, the artists behind Lamplighter Arts CIC felt it was important to create a huge parade that could unite the diverse communities of Barton Hill, Redfield and St George.
In the first parade, the organisers worked with 60 local children and created 28 lanterns but hundreds of people turned up. By 2023 the community event had grown in size and 6,000 people turned out for a parade of 500 lanterns.
The organisers are now fundraising for the parade and hope to raise £5,000 through a crowdfunding campaign. They are also hosting a fundraising event at the Beehive on December 20 called ‘Glow’.
In reference to the 2025 Church Road Lantern Parade, Lamplighter Arts CIC states: “Church Road Lantern Parade began in 2014 to create a common celebration along the main shopping and travel route through our wonderful diverse community. The aim then and now was to create a parade of joy, peace and light following negative far right activity on Church Road in 2013.
“We all know from the riots this summer that this work is more important now than ever. The amount of people coming to workshops and joining in with the fun of the parade has grown as has the amount of money needed to create the event.
“Our theme for our work in 2025 is “It’s Going To Be WILD” and the lanterns will support a greater connection to nature within the community. Lamplighter Arts CIC hopes that with funding achieved Community Arts work will begin again across our area in early Spring 2025.
“The theme will both celebrate and explore the wildlife where we live and work in BS5 and inspire positive community action to build climate resilience. Lantern making workshops will be used as a tool for communities to discuss habitat recreation, aiming to preserve and support the biodiversity of our natural world.”
You can find out more about the lantern parade and crowdfunder rewards scheme here.