Lantern Project

Stony Stratford Lantern Project 2023 – Christmas in Storyland!

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UPDATE – the 2023 Stony Stratford Lantern Project is now completely SOLD OUT (both kits and workshops).

This year’s project gives you the option to EITHER make your lantern/s at the York House Workshops OR buy Lantern Kit/s to make at home.

All lantern makers are invited to join in with the Lantern Procession on Saturday 02 December (meet at York House at 3.15pm).

The York House Workshops are drop-in:

Saturday 18 November, 10am til 4pm
Sunday 19 November, 10am til 4pm
Saturday 25 November, 10am til 4pm
Sunday 26 November, 10am til 4pm
A café will be running serving hot and cold drinks, light lunches and snacks.

Plenty of Lantern Volunteers will be on-hand at the York House Workshops to help you make your lantern and to check they are all safe ready for the Lantern Procession which is well supervised by experienced Stewards.

All lantern tickets are sold online, you need to make sure you choose the right ticket type! Cost for all ticket types is £7.00 per lantern (not per person).

NOTE – We strongly advise that you pre-book your lantern/s as the project sells out every year via the ticket link below:

https://www.wegottickets.com/event/593154

We strongly advise that you pre-book your lantern/s as the project sells out every year:

Lantern Kits for those who prefer to make their lanterns at home. The kit will include full instructions, materials and a bamboo cane with fixings. You will need to provide your own battery powered fairy lights or torch to light your lantern (for safety reasons as your lantern will not have been checked by the Volunteers) but the kit will include a bamboo cane with fixings so that you can bring your lantern along and join the procession.

Pre-ordered Lantern Kits must be collected from York House at one of the following times:

Sunday 12 November – 2.00pm til 5.00pm (from the Main Hall)
Wednesday 16 November – 5.30pm til 7.15pm (front car park)

It is important that you don’t turn up at York House outside these hours as you won’t be able to collect your kit.

Friends of Stony Lanterns 2023 – to support families in need to join in for free and to help fund future projects. You don’t need to make a lantern to donate, just click on the ticket link above and choose the ‘Friends of Stony Lanterns 2023 – Optional Donation’ ticket. Each donation is £5.00 (plus 50p booking fee) but feel free to give multiple donations if you feel able to!

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Grant funding is becoming harder to secure every year, and the cost of materials has risen dramatically. We are asking people to consider making an optional additional donation of £5.00 to become a Friend of Stony Lanterns for 2023. Donations collected will be used to fund free lantern spaces/kits for families in need, and to help fund future lantern projects. To donate, click the ‘Friends of Stony Lanterns’ ticket type when ordering your lanterns online before you head to the checkout.

DO YOU NEED OUR HELP? We know that some families are struggling due to the cost of living crisis but we don’t want any local children to miss out on taking part. We will be offering a limited number (one per family) of free lantern spaces/kits on a first come, first served basis. Please email stonylanterns@gmail.com for more information.

On Switch-On Day (Saturday 02 December) meet at York House from 3.15pm to collect your lanterns or bring your lanterns along if you’ve made them at home. As darkness falls, the lanterns are lit and the procession leaves at 4.15pm to make its way through the crowd-lined streets of Stony Stratford to the Market Square in time for the switching-on of the Christmas lights at 5pm – magical!

Any questions? Email stonylanterns@gmail.com

School Sessions 2023

St Mary & St Giles North Site – there is an afterschool frame-making session for pupils and their parents/carers only in the SMSG North School Hall on Monday 13 November, 3pm til 5pm. If you want to attend this session, you need to buy your lantern/s via the designated link which has been sent via a letter in your child’s bookbag. You will need to join the sessions at York House to finish your lantern.

Russell Street School – there is an afterschool frame-making session for pupils and their parents/carers only in the York House Main Hall (note venue) on Thursday 16 November, 3.15pm til 5.15pm. If you want to attend this session, you need to buy your lantern/s via the designated link which has been sent via a letter in your child’s bookbag. You will need to join the sessions at York House to finish your lantern.

On Switch-On Day (Saturday 2nd December) meet at York House from 3.15pm to collect your lanterns or bring your lanterns along if you’ve made them at home. As darkness falls, the lanterns are lit and the procession leaves at 4.15pm to make its way through the crowd-lined streets of Stony Stratford to the Market Square in time for the switching-on of the Christmas lights at 5pm – magical!

A BIG thank you to all the Lantern Volunteers; to the Trustees & Staff at York House Centre and to our funders – Stony Stratford Town Council, Stony Stratford Business Association and Milton Keynes Community Foundation.

Join the Stony Stratford Lantern Project Facebook Group for the latest project news.

REVIEWS OF RECENT LANTERN PROJECTS

Lockdown Lantern Project 2021 – A Review

Lockdown Lantern Project 2020 – A Review

Stony Stratford Lantern Project 2019 – Review