Lantern Festival Glows, Rain or Shine

See a stunner of a sight, raindrops or not.

"Rain or shine" aren't words that Angelenos have read lately, or at least taken all that seriously when coming across them. Because it'll be shine, always shine, even moonshine, when it isn't sunshine. Or at least that's the story the last two months have warmly told.

That's changing, but the traditional and beautiful Lantern Festival, the Chinese American Museum's annual light-up-the-night party that bids farewell to the Lunar New Year, doesn't mind too much. The fest is going ahead "rain or shine," so lovers of lanterns may see the glow set against a backdrop of droplets and puddles.

It's a ten-hour festival, from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, so perhaps it won't be all soggy skies. There should be time for both the lighting and admiring of the lanterns as well as the opening Lion Dance, Chinese folk dancing and acrobatics, fan dance presentations, and more.

Plus lantern-making, of course, and an origami workshop and the making of rattle-drums and abacuses and other lovely items with longtime connections to welcoming the Lunar New Year (and bidding it adieu).

Food trucks and a beer garden will be helping everyone stay peppy in the face of possible puddle formation.

And, yep, as always, the Lantern Festival is free. That's not dampening news at all.

So poncho up and make for El Pueblo, particularly near dark if you want to see some glow action. And doesn't everyone? Call it an auspicious lighting of the way for the Year of the Horse.

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