The LANTERNS! festival lights up Little Rock

Arkansans are all about the outdoors. The wintertime can put a bit of a cramp in those plans for fun outdoors, but there are a few occasions worth bundling up for and bracing against the cold. One of those events is the annual outdoor festival called LANTERNS!, which will be held on February 2-4 at Wildwood. This marks the fourth year of the festival, and we are so excited to attend this enchanting, internationally themed event, and we think you will be too.

The festival celebrates the first full moon occurring in the lunar year, which begins the Chinese Year of the Dragon (it's supposed to be really good luck!). Wildwood's already spectacular landscape will be transformed into a winter wonderland, with pathways lit by lanterns and firepits. Visitors will follow this enchanting path between eight different venues, which represent different cultures/locations: China, Paris, India, Shakespeare’s England, Rio de Janeiro, Venice, and even the moon, as well as an "Americana" baseball theme.

I can't wait to sample all of the delicious food and beverages that will be available at LANTERNS! for purchase, including French crepes and champagne, hot dogs, samplings from Café Bossa Nova and Star of India Restaurant. Word has it that they'll be serving traditional Brazilian caipirinhas (made with sugar cane rum) to sip while listening to a bossa nova band. Sign us up!

We also plan to catch performances given by Ballet Arkansas and the Arkansas Shakespeare Festival. For those with kids, this is an excellent family event because there will several fun activities, such as 'build your own lantern' and experimenting with chopsticks. I don't know about you, but I could certainly use some practice!

So, now I bet you want to go to LANTERNS! too, don't you? I think we can leave the warmth of our cozy homes long enough to soak in some of this multi-cultural entertainment. It's like taking an exotic vacation without actually leaving Little Rock! Here are all the details:

Date/time: 6-10 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 2 - 4

Location: Wildwood Park for the Arts, 20919 Denny Road, West Little Rock

Admission: $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12, free for children ages 5 and younger