Harpswell Heritage Land Trust will welcome the winter solstice with its Second annual Winter Solstice Lantern Walk.
The Dec. 21 event will include a walk, bonfire and singing.
“The Winter Solstice Lantern Walk is a magical event,” said Kimberlee Elder, one of the organizers. “It brings together community members of all ages to celebrate the coming winter season with a festival of light and sing.”
“It’s a very family friendly event and we already have a bunch of kids signed up,” said Harpswell Heritage Land Trust Outreach Coordinator Julia McLeod.
The event is co-sponsored by the Harpswell Community School PTO. Fourth and fifth grade students, as well as students at the Harpswell Community Nursery School, have been making lanterns in advance of the solstice walk, and the students’ families have been invited to participate.
Those who want to make their own lantern to carry during the event can get materials and instructions at Orr’s Island Library and Cundy’s Harbor Library up until the day of the event. Instructions are also available on the land trust’s website to construct lanterns at home.
“The ones we’re making in our workshops and at the libraries are this thick watercolor paper, and it’s folded into this sort of square tunnel shape, and it’s open on top,” explained McLeod. “Then you put a light inside, and the light shines out through the holes.”
Homemade lanterns are not required, McLeod noted. Flashlights or any type of light can be brought to the event.
“Basically, anything that holds the light we’re considering a lantern,” she said.
Although the event is free, advanced registration is required, as space is limited. McLeod said that around 80 people had already signed up, and participation will be capped at 150.
nstrout@timesrecord.com
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