Ticket Sales Begin for Milwaukee Chinese Lantern Festival

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WI — Tickets to the world-class Chinese lantern festival, China Lights: The Magic Returns, are now on sale at chinalights.org and at various Parks locations throughout Milwaukee County.

The magical glow of nearly 50 larger-than- life sculptural displays will illuminate 10 acres of Milwaukee’s
renowned Boerner Botanical Gardens, in Whitnall Park at 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners.

The festival, presented by Tri City National Bank, also celebrates Asian culture with professional entertainment, a bustling marketplace, and food. The event runs from Sept. 22–Oct. 22, Tuesday through Sunday, from 5:30–10 p.m., with a 5 p.m. opening for people who purchase the VIP ticket package. The festival will be closed Mondays.

Lantern Displays
About 95 percent of the themed lantern displays will be new this year. (Only the two most popular displays
will be returning—the 200-foot- long dragon and the mythical quilin.) In addition to new themes, some
displays will be constructed using innovative materials and techniques.

This year’s show-stoppers are expected to be the Phoenix, which rivals the dragon in size; the Pagoda Palace, which is made up of 60,000 plates, cups, and spoons; and the Elephant, which lets visitors pedal a bicycle to power the lights. The Pagoda Palace will be located in front of the Education and Visitor Center so that the public may view construction through completion of the display.
Displays are made up of more than 1,000 components. Artisans from Zigong City, China are on-site and have
begun work on the show, welding metal frames, lighting the frames from within using various types and

Each night at about 6:15 p.m. members of the entertainment staff will lead the Illumination Parade, a
procession through the displays in the Shrub Mall. The parade will conclude at the main stage in time for the
first performance of the night.

• Sept. 22–24, Opening Weekend will kick off the festival with a ceremony, giveaways, and tours.
• Sept. 29–Oct 1, Asian Cuisine/Chicago Weekend will offer cooking demonstrations and food specials as well as a free premium to the first 3,000 visitors presenting an Illinois driver’s license.
• Oct. 6–8, Moon Festival Weekend, presented by the Milwaukee Chinese Community Center and
• OCA–Wisconsin, will feature demonstrations of Chinese folk arts
• Oct. 13–15, Cultural Weekend will focus on Chinese cultural arts with demonstrations, lectures, and videos.
• Oct 20–22, Closing Weekend will feature giveaways and the closing ceremony.

Admission/Fees
China Lights admission tickets will be valid any night of the regular 2017 schedule. Admission is $15 for adults (age 18–59) and $10 for seniors (age 60 and up) and children (age 5-17). Children
under age 5 will be admitted free.

For $30, a patron may purchase a one-visit VIP ticket, which includes early admission at 5 p.m., the mobile guide, a collectible Chinese hand fan which serves as the admission ticket to a private tour at 5:15 p.m., and optional participation in the Illumination Parade.

Offered exclusively at the Botanical Gardens will be a season pass, which allows one adult repeat visits for $45. Free parking is included with all admission tickets.

Tickets may be purchased in advance on-line at chinalights.org, Boerner Botanical Gardens, and the following
Milwaukee County Parks point-of- sale locations: Milwaukee County Parks Public Services Office (9480
Watertown Plank Road), Mitchell Park Domes (524 S. Layton Blvd.), Brown Deer Park Golf Course (7625 N.
Range Line Road), Currie Golf Course (3535 N. Mayfair Road), Dretzka Golf Course (12020 W. Bradley
Road), Grant Golf Course (100 E. Hawthorne Ave.), Greenfield Golf Course (12035 W. Greenfield Ave.),
Hansen Golf Course (9800 W. Underwood Creek Parkway), Lincoln Park Golf Course (1000 W. Hampton
Ave.), Oakwood Golf Course (3600 W. Oakwood Road), Warnimont Golf Course (5400 S. Lake Drive), and
Whitnall Golf Course (6751 S. 92nd St.).

image via milwaukee county parks