THE CAVENDER DIARY

For the second year, Dallas Fair Park is hosting the Chinese Lantern Festival.

Construction of this exceptional exhibit originated in Sichuan,  China, where a team of more than 100 artisans and technical staff did preliminary work, the cradle of Chinese lantern-making. Everything was shipped to Dallas, along with a team of 40 Chinese artisans who erected the exhibit on site.

During the State Fair, tickets were $14, but now through the rest of the run (Jan 5th) they are $22.

When the sun goes down, this place comes alive with 24 different lantern installations.

Most with moving parts and some as tall as 50 feet.

The Porcelain Pagoda’s nine towering spires command attention, reaching as high as 53 feet. It’s inspired by a Buddhist temple in China, and matches the height of the original.

But look closely, this temple is composed of 68,000 pieces of porcelain dishware—plates, bowls, spoons, and cups—all hand-tied using traditional Chinese techniques.

Floating serenely in the middle of Fair Park Lagoon is the 300 foot Imperial Dragon Boat.

The entire Chinese zodiac is represented in 12 foot tall lanterns.

I’m “The Year of the Monkey”, in case y’all are wondering……..

Monkeys are “clever, skillful, successful”….and “genius” was thrown in to that definition quite a bit too…..

……no one in our group was doubting that descriptive. No Sir.

The Chinese Lantern Festival at Dallas Fair Park is open from 5:30 – 10:30 Thur – Sun in November, and every day from Dec 5 – Jan 5…….so there’s still time for a visit.

We highly recommend it.