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August 11, 2022 By MKE Community Journal Leave a Comment

The China Lights lantern festival, presented by Tri-City Bank, is a partnership between Milwaukee County Parks and Tianyu Arts & Culture, and was an instant smash hit when it first came to Boerner Botanical Gardens in 2016. Nearly 400,000 people have toured the light shows since, and this year the festival returns will a new theme and new lantern displays.

From Sept 16-Oct 30, visitors will enjoy an ‘Adventure in Lantern Wonderland’, with over 40 larger-than-life themed lanterns, including the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, an Illusion Tunnel, and the Queen of Hearts. At the end of the adventure, visitors will be invited to a tea party for a photo opportunity with all the characters.

The lanterns, which are displayed around a three-quarter mile walking route through Boerner Botanical Gardens, also include eleven interactive light displays, including a light kaleidoscope, an illuminated ‘drumming tree’ and illuminated swings.

The festival, presented by Tri City National Bank, will also celebrate Asian folk-culture, with live performances from professional entertainers on the We-Energies stage each night, and a variety of food and beverage selections.

“China Lights is one of those Milwaukee are events that is a ‘must-visit’ and a ‘must-selfie’. We know people are going to be especially excited to visit after a two-year break.” Said Guy Smith, Executive Director at Milwaukee County Parks. “Over the last couple of years, we’ve also improved accessibility at Boerner Botanical with upgraded pathways, to ensure even more people can enjoy events like China Lights.”

China Lights runs from Sept 16 – Oct 30, Tuesday through Sunday, from 5:30-10 p.m. Tickets for China Lights go on sale on Aug 11 and are available online at chinalights.org. This year tickets will be sold for specific dates and time-slots – visitors can choose between a 5:30pm entry and a 7:30pm entry. An early entry option is also available.

Additional Details Special weekend themes include:

• Oct. 7–9, Milwaukee County Parks Weekend

• Oct. 14–16, Alice in Wonderland Weekend

Premium paid parking is in the paved lot nearest the China Lights entrance. Tickets for this lot may be purchased on a first come first serve basis. The same parking lot will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis to people with disabilities who have state-issued disabled parking or disabled Veteran parking license plates, or the state-issued disabled parking identification card.

First-come, first-served, complimentary parking will be available at fully lighted parking lots. A complimentary shuttle service will serve the outer lots. Additional street parking will be available where marked.

Designated drop-off areas for authorized taxis/uber and motorcoaches will also be located near the China Lights entrance. Motorcoach operators must make advance arrangements.

Tickets are sold online for a specific date and time. There are two time slots for tickets each night – 5:30PM and 7:30PM. A limited number of walk-up tickets will be available at the box office at the festival entrance from 5:00PM – 9:00PM. There will be a $5 – $10 surcharge for walk-up tickets.

Advance ticket prices are the following:

General Admission (13yrs+): $22 weekday, $25 weekend

Child (3-12yrs): $14 weekday, $16 weekend

Early Entry* (any age): $25 weekday, $28 weekend (only 100 early-entry tickets issued per night)

Family Pack (2 general, 2 children): $62 weekday, $$70 weekend

Walk-up ticket prices are the following:

*Family Pack, Season Pass and Early Entry are not available at the box office.

*Early Entry tickets include the following:

1) Entry at 5:00pm to beat the crowd.

3) A souvenir set of China Lights postcards (with photos of our favorite lanterns from 2016 -2019).

Thousands of plants bring the seasons to life at the Boerner Botanical Gardens, home to colorful and fragrant displays laid out in 12 formal gardens. The gardens, located just 15 minutes outside of Milwaukee in the Village of Hales Corners, opened in the 1950s as part of the Milwaukee County Parks system. Visit www.boernerbotanicalgardens.com.

About Tianyu Arts & Culture Inc 

Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc. is the largest Chinese lantern festival producer in North America and one of the first companies to bring authentic Chinese lantern traditions to the United States and Europe. The Chicago-based corporation is a subsidiary of Sichuan Tianyu Culture Communication Co., Ltd., headquartered in Zigong in the Sichuan Province of China. Tianyu strives for quality by focusing on three core components: conservation and natural beauty, turnkey festival operations, and interactive visitor experiences. Tianyu’s team of professionals have produced over 50 festivals in the United States, appearing in 21 states and 26 cities and welcoming over 3 million visitors. To learn more about Tianyu Arts & Culture, Inc., please visit https://tianyuculture.us/.

Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment

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