Lantern Lighting Celebration 2024

If you wish to have a name read during the ceremony, please provide the name(s) and pronunciation(s) that you would like to have read aloud. There will be a prompt to add this information when you purchase your ticket.

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About The Ceremony

Join us at Lakewood with your family, friends and community for a moving and meaningful experience. Lakewood's 10th annual Lantern Lighting Celebration will take place September 20-21.

You can reserve a lantern, which Lakewood will provide, and decorate it with words or images of someone that you love and miss. Markers and supplies will be provided, if you would like to include a photo you will need to bring in a scanned or copied image as you will not be able to get the lanterns back.

At dusk, we will illuminate our lanterns together and release them onto the lake in a beautiful ceremony, reading the names of those who are missed. The effect is breathtaking and magical, connecting us to our loved ones and to each other.

Event attendance is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome! Buy a ticket for every lantern you'd like to decorate: $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

You only need to register for 1 night.

If you wish to have a name read during the ceremony, please provide the name(s) and pronunciation(s) that you would like to have read aloud. There will be a prompt to add this information when you purchase your ticket.

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FAQs

What happens to the lanterns after this event?

To keep Lakewood beautiful for families who may be visiting loved ones and the wildlife that call Lakewood home, our grounds crew will clear out the lanterns and remove any excess debris from the lake each evening. The decorative part of the lantern will be recycled, and the lantern bases will be reused.

Can I still attend if I don’t have family buried at Lakewood?

Absolutely! Our Lantern Lighting Celebration is about coming together to honor those are missed and loved. All are welcome to attend our Lantern Lighting Celebration. Although many of our attendees are celebrating the life of someone at Lakewood, you are welcome to honor anyone that you would like on your lanterns.

Can I bring a photo to use my lantern?

Please bring copies of photographs! As mentioned above, the lanterns will not be returned after the event.

Will any of the mausoleums or buildings be open for this event?

The Garden Mausoleum, Community Mausoleum, and the Memorial Chapel will all be open until 7pm. Please note that these buildings are about a half a mile away from the event location.

If I'm not buying a lantern, do I still need to register?

While it is not required, we still encourage you to register as attending. This not only allows us to track attendance, but will also allow us to contact you with information regarding the event (for example, information on location and parking, and if there are any cancellation notices.)

What happens if it rains?

The event may be postponed if there is heavy rain, strong winds, extreme heat, or thunderstorms. Should this happen, all attendees will be moved to the rain date of Sunday, September 22. You will receive an email communicating this. We will also post on this event page and on our Facebook page. If you are unable to attend on September 22, you may request a refund through Eventbrite or by emailing [email protected].

For more information, please visit our website: https://www.lakewoodcemetery.org/event/lantern-lighting-celebration/

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Questions?

Call the Lakewood events line at 612-540-5165 or email us at [email protected]

Photography notice: To help us promote Lakewood and our events and offerings, guests may be photographed. By attending, you consent to appear in this documentation and its future use by Lakewood. We do our best to select photos without recognizable faces. If you prefer not to be photographed, please let staff know upon arrival.

Host or Publisher Lakewood Cemetery