The Austin Water Lantern Festival is an annual festival run by an Austin company called One World. A water lantern festival is an event that uses floating paper lanterns and LED candles to carry hope and love across Mueller Lake Park, according to the Water Lantern Festival website. This year, the festival takes place on March 25. 

Ashlynn Bryson, One Worlds Marketing specialist, said she enjoys the celebration because of how relaxing the lanterns are. According to Bryson, festival goers often find joy and comfort in the glow of lanterns.

“The lanterns have become an amazing thing because this unique festival combines the beauty of lanterns with the peacefulness of water,” Bryson said. “[The water lantern festival] creates an experience that is both visually stunning and emotionally moving.”

Along with the beauty of the lanterns, according to Bryson, the festival allows for attendees to connect to their culture. According to Bryson, for some visitors, the festival connects them to their past as they remember their ancestors and family and let go of heavy emotions. 

“The festival is also a great chance for people to honor loved ones who have passed away, to make wishes for the future, and reflect on the present,” Bryson said. “The lanterns which are released into the water, symbolize the release of negative thoughts and emotions and the embracing of positive ones.”  

According to senior Anokhi Sheth, the celebration can have long lasting effects on people. Sheth attended the water lantern in 2019 as a freshman at LASA, and still thinks back to her experience. 

“When I went it was free,” Sheth said. “We just happened to stumble upon it, and we were let in without having to pay anything. I would highly suggest it to anyone even remotely thinking of going.”

Even though Sheth went to the festival for free, in order to participate in the festival and launch a lantern, attendees must purchase a ticket. According to the website, the tickets include a wristband for entry, a LED light, a floating lantern kit, a commemorative drawstring bag, a marker, playing cards, conversation cards, and lantern retrieval and water cleanup tools. 

Junior Jaynie Lee attended the celebration in 2022. She said she enjoys going to local events, like the Water Lantern Festival, with friends and feels others would enjoy it as well.

 “I would suggest everyone go at least once,” Lee said. “It’s a bit expensive to buy the kit, but it was really fun to see your wishes float away on the water.” 

The company holds the event across Texas, including cities such as Corpus Christi, Dallas, and Houston. For people looking to attend the Water Lantern festival, tickets cost anywhere between $27 to $56 dollars depending on when the ticket is bought.