Few festivals have grown in popularity as fast as the Chinatown BIA’s Lantern Festival, which celebrates the Chinese traditional Mid-Autumn Festival.

So much so, that thousands of visitors packed Daqing Square and the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre.

The draw, besides the numerous vendors, cultural organizations, and food trucks was the lanterns themselves—which saw more than a few visitors stop in the flow of the crowd along 2 Avenue SW to snap a photo or ten for social media.

Judy Eng-Hum, Executive Director for the Chinatown BIA, said that the expansion of the festival over the past three years was a major draw for Calgarians.

“It’s a great evening to come out after the terrible weather that we’ve had, and this year, we’ve expanded it into the cultural center as well. That really helped draw the crowds, and we’ve had really good reaction on our Instagram as well. So yeah, we’re just more than happy about the turnout this year,” she said.

Besides the addition of the cultural centre opening, which hosted a variety of cultural performances on the main stage, the festival added a Dragon Lantern Parade for the year of the dragon.

The goal was to encourage more Calgarians to visit Chinatown year-round, said Eng-Hum.

“It’s a great opportunity for the people that do come down to the festival that have not come to Chinatown before, to stay in Chinatown to visit the other merchants and just experience what Chinatown has to offer,” she said.

“This is a great opportunity for some of the vendors who do not have a shop in Chinatown to try out their trade, to see what is available in Chinatown, and see the reaction that a lot of people are getting to the products that they offer. So, it’s a great chance for them to experience that, and then maybe consider opening a shop in Chinatown to revitalize the area.”

Photos from the third annual Chinatown Lantern Festival