Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival
During the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival, Franklin Square lights up the night.
The can’t-miss illuminated fest in Philadelphia’s Historic District hosts dozens of massive, intricate and handcrafted lanterns — dragons, tigers, rabbits and more — constructed by lantern artisans from China.
Also on the docket at this uber-popular ticketed event: live cultural performances, shopping, dining, the Dragon Beer Garden and more.
The festival has been a must-see for residents and visitors since debuting in 2016 and has welcomed hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world.
This year, the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival runs from June 21 to August 13, 2023.
The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival at Franklin Square is a celebration of light and culture that showcases dozens of larger-than-life, never-before-seen lantern displays by artists from China and the Philadelphia region.
The festival also features a variety of live stage performances and folk art demonstrations.
Thirsty guests can quench their thirst at the vibrant Dragon Beer Garden, while dining options on the festival grounds range from traditional Asian cuisine to classic American eats to Franklin Square’s SquareBurger, which remains open with staples like burgers, fries and shakes.
— Photo by J. Fusco for Tianyu
Attendees are also invited to enjoy the other attractions that Franklin Square has to offer, including the Parx Liberty Carousel; the Philly-themed mini-golf course; choreographed, illuminated water shows at the Franklin Square Fountain; and family-friendly playgrounds. (Note that additional tickets are required for the carousel and golf.)
Lighted Sculptures
With 34 installations, 180 animals, 2,500 flowers and 25,000 LEDs — more than any other year — 2023’s lantern displays are the most brilliant yet.
New lanterns featured this year include the 100-foot-long Sea Dragon Tunnel, a Year of the Rabbit display, the interactive Fortune Telling Wall, Panda-monium and many more.
Other must-see displays include the Lingzhi Tree, Piranha Plants, Chrysanthemum Corridor, Cherry Blossom Forest, and, of course, the iconic 164-foot-long firebreathing dragon.
Can’t-Miss Performances
The 2023 Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival features cultural stage performances three times each night at 7:30 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.
The rotating shows feature edge-of-your-seat experiences like jar juggling, plate spinning and Jiu-Jitsu acrobatics in addition to more mellow performances like ancient folk dancing and traditional tea ceremonies.
And the fan-favorite face changers steal the show with a series of blink-and-you’ll-miss-them mask changes, expertly executed with the wave of a hand or flick of a fan.
Dazzling Fountain Shows
In between stage performances, a specially created fountain show dazzles audiences with streams of water dancing to the beats of the Beijing-based Chopstick Brothers.
The special fountain show runs every 30 minutes between 6 and 10 p.m., except during stage performances.
Folk Artists & Cultural Connections
Visitors to the festival can watch a trio of folk artists at work in the Dragon Beer Garden each night, painting lanterns and creating artwork out of braided aluminum.
On Fridays and Saturday evenings, visitors can participate in cultural connection demonstrations inside the Franklin Square Pavilion.
At 6:30 p.m., face changers greet guests and pose for photos. At 7:15 and 9 p.m., chefs from Sang Kee lead dumpling-making demonstrations. And at 8:15 p.m., folk dancers offer lessons in the ancient art of folk dancing.
Food & Drink
In addition to traditional Asian fare — including rice balls from Oishii and dan dan noodles from Sang Kee — guests can snack on burgers, hot dogs and cheesesteaks from the on-site SquareBurger.
For the 21-plus crowd, the Dragon Beer Garden serves up an array of beer, wine and specialty cocktails until 10 p.m. each night.
During the daytime, admission to Franklin Square is free to the public, as always, and festival lanterns are freely viewable. At 5 p.m. daily, Franklin Square is cleared of guests and the park closes in preparation for the festival.
The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival begins at 6 p.m. sharp and tickets are required. While tickets are often available for purchase at the festival entrance, sales may end when the park is at capacity — so advance tickets are strongly recommended.
Sunday through Thursday: General admission tickets can be used anytime from 6 to 11 p.m. to the tune of $22 for adults, $14 for children (ages 3-12), and $20 for youth (ages 13-17), seniors, and active military.
Fridays and Saturdays: To manage park capacity, timed tickets are required, which allow festival entry at any point after the printed time and run $25 for adults, $14 for children (ages 3-12), and $23 for youth (ages 13-17), seniors, and active military.
Folks looking to experience everything Franklin Square Park has to offer can pick up combo festival tickets, which include discounted tickets to the Parx Liberty Carousel, Philly Mini-Golf or both.
Kids 2 years and under (accompanied by an adult) can enter the festival and join in on attractions free of charge any day, but ticketholders are not allowed re-entry after leaving the festival grounds.
For more information on the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival and to purchase tickets, click the button below.
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