'Magical' Festive Lantern Parade returning to Bury town centre

The Festive Lantern Parade will return to town on Thursday, November 14.

The town centre will host the special seasonal gathering, welcoming children and families who have created magical lanterns in schools and community workshops.

Last year, more than 200 hundred people joined the parade.

The event will run from 5pm to 7pm, bringing live music and special surprises for parade participants and their families.

The theme will be "Flight", representing "imagination, freedom and the beauty of soaring above".

Lanterns and large-scale puppetry will "recreate a magical natural takeover of the town centre".

The parade will leave The Met theatre at 5pm and "culminate in an enchanting gathering and fire installations" at Kay Gardens, following the procession around the town centre with live music from Bury Music Service, Twisted Tubes and the Cacophony Arkestra and some "very special guest puppetry" from Liverpool Lantern Parade.

The festival will be returning to town (Image: Supplied) The festival will be returning to town (Image: Supplied) The Met has also run a series of creative workshops with schools from across the borough, including Elton Primary School, East Ward Community Primary School, Greenhill Primary School and Tiddlywinks Nursery, to create the lanterns.

Schools which would like to host a lantern-making workshop have been asked to email education@themet.org.uk.

There will also be free lantern workshops taking place at The Met theatre and Bury Art Museum with limited places.

Families will create lanterns made from willow and paper, which will light up the town centre as dusk falls.

The workshops will take place at The Met on Saturday, November 2 from 10am to 12pm and at Bury Art Museum from 10am to 12pm on Saturday, November 9.

The workshops are free to attend but must be booked in advance.

To make a booking click here.

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The festival will be returning to town (Image: Supplied) The festival will be returning to town (Image: Supplied) READ NEXT > Primary school hosts scarecrow festival to bring community together

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The Met artistic director David Agnew said: “We’re thrilled to bring this community-led event back to Bury for another year.

"It’s been wonderful working with Bury BID, Liverpool Lantern Parade and Walk the Plank to bring this event to life and to see the creativity of local school children as they build their lanterns

"We cannot wait to share Bury town centre with families and friends at this magical time of year.”

The event has been commissioned by Bury BID, funded by town centre. Working in partnership with The Met, the event aims to welcome families and communities into the town centre for a "wonderful wintry afternoon".