Behind the scenes look at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden’s Chinese Lantern Festival

This fall, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden will light up at night with the Chinese Lantern Festival.

Wednesdays through Sundays, from 5:30 p.m to 9:30 p.m., hundreds of lanterns will fill more than 12 acres in the garden. The festival will start September 7th, 2017, and end October 29th.

These aren’t small, hand-held lanterns. They are huge trees, pandas, elephants, tigers and more, illuminated with LED lightbulbs and light tubes.

The festival is a production of Hanart Culture and has previously been produced in Dallas, Calgary and Boca Raton. It’s the largest exhibition Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden has ever presented.

Some of the lanterns have traveled 6,000 miles from Zigong to Shanghai to Charleston to Belmont by riverboat, ocean liner, train and truck. Others are being created right now at Stowe Garden by master artisans and artists from China.

I got the chance to visit behind the scenes, while the artisans worked. First an artist draws a picture with chalk on the ground, and then bends wire over the drawing. Once the wire frame is created, artisans position lightbulbs or light tubes in it, and then cover it with colorful satin. Finally an artist paints it.

Look below for pictures of the works in progress.

In addition to the lantern display there will be performances each night, as well as a food truck:

Nightly Activity Schedule:
5:30 – 9:30 p.m.: Family Activities
5:30 – 9:30 p.m.: Chinese Folk Art Marketplace
6 – 9 p.m.: Food Truck(s)
6 – 6:45 p.m.: Kung Fu Show followed by a Coaching Session
7 – 7:30 p.m.: Shadow Play followed by Backstage Activities
7:45 – 8:30 p.m.: Kung Fu Show followed by a Coaching Session
8:45 – 9:15 p.m.: Shadow Play followed by Backstage Activities

The cost at the door is $24.95 for adults, $21.95 for seniors age 60+, and $15.95 for kids age 2-12. If you purchase them online they’ll be $21.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors and $14.95 for kids. Check back here often on Charlotte on the Cheap, where we will be listing any special deals or promotions available.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is at 6500 South Hope Road, Belmont.