Chinese Lantern Festival 2024 opens at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- The doors are open for the 2024 Chinese Lantern Festival at Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre.

This is the festival's 9th year in the Triangle and organizers say this year is unlike any other festival. The event has become a family favorite during the holidays.

Chinese artisans have crafted all-new displays for 2024.

The festival runs from November 16 to January 12. Tickets are now on sale.

It takes 15+ tractor-trailers to deliver materials for our visiting artisans to assemble this year's 36 lantern groupings.

Most lanterns are made in only one city: Zigong, in the Sichuan province, the lantern capital of China for many centuries.

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Last year more than 216,000 people visited the festival. This generated about $8 million in economic impact.

The spectacular Chinese Dragon floating on Symphony Lake is longer than three school buses at approximately 200 feet. It stands 21 feet high and weighs 18,000 pounds.

The head was installed by a crane operated by a 15-person crew.

ABC11 is once again a proud sponsor of the festival.