Waterbury’s first community lantern parade, the River of Light Lantern Procession, will take place on Thursday December 16th 2010 from 5:45pm – 6.45pm, commencing outside Thatcher Brook Primary School on Stowe Street. This inaugural procession has a Brazilian Fiesta theme that corresponds with Thatcher Brook Primary School’s annual cultural awareness week. Burlington’s twenty-person street samba band, Sambatucada will lead the procession, which will include a short musical performance including students in Rusty Parker Park at Park Row & Main Street. Spectators are welcome to line the parade route, which will move down Railroad Street, Main Street, Stowe Street and end at Thatcher Brook.The lanterns carried in the procession will be made by Thatcher Brook Primary School students. During December, the students will work with Montpelier artists Gowri Savoor and Angelo Arnold along with school art teacher, MK Monley to construct the majority of the 150 willow and tissue-paper lanterns. The procession will also be joined by artists from Central Vermont, who will be creating larger-scale lanterns during a special one-day workshop.
The project, which is sponsored in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, is intended to build cultural awareness and draw the community together in celebration. Lanterns are a symbol of returning light, creativity and community spirit. All are invited to converge in Waterbury to welcome the winter, along streets filled with music and light.
For more information, contact MK Monley, mmonley@wdsdvt.org
