150 Trees for 150 Years | Help us restore our urban forest
Seasonal Celebrations
Lantern Lighting Celebration
September 17 - September 19
Purchase Tickets
Admission is free
Lanterns are $7 in advance / $12 at the door
Lakewood 7th Annual Lantern Lighting Celebration
September 17th | 5:00pm – 8:30pm
September 18th | 5:00pm – 8:30pm
September 19th | 5:00pm – 8:30pm
Registration is only required for 1 night.
Mark your calendars for our 7th annual Lantern Lighting Celebration — an evening to gather with family, friends and community to honor and remember those we love and miss. We are so excited to bring this treasured tradition to our community once again.
Attendance is free, but each lantern you wish to decorate is $7 in advance or $12 at the door.
Click the “Get Tickets” button, or visit our Eventbrite page to reserve your lantern.
Online reservations will stop at 10am on the day of the event.
If you would like to attend and online registration is closed, you are welcome to pay cash at the door.
We can only accept cash and do not have an ATM nearby.
How it works
Decorate a floating lantern in memory of a loved one with words of love and remembrance (using art supplies provided at the event). As you create your lantern, enjoy expansive views of the cemetery including Lakewood’s lake, Jo Pond.
At dusk, we’ll light our lanterns together and release them onto the lake in a beautiful ceremony. The effect is breathtaking and magical — connecting us to our loved ones and to each other.
Please note that lanterns will be removed from the water each night.
We ensure that no trace is left behind and the lake stays clean and beautiful for all those who visit.
Lantern Decorating: 5 – 7:30 p.m.
Design a lantern to honor someone who you love and miss. Whether it’s a photo, a drawing, a memory, or simply a name – you create this beautiful work of art dedicated to someone special. Lakewood will supply markers and other creative supplies to help you create your lantern while you enjoy live music and scenic views of Lakewood and our lake.
Remember – if you bring a photograph, please bring a copy of the image as you will not be able to get your lantern back after the event.
You will not get your lantern back after the event, so be sure to take lots of pictures! Lanterns and any debris from the event will be removed from the lake each night.
Ceremony: 7:30 p.m – 8:30 p.m.
Just before dusk, we will gather on the shores of Lakewood’s lake to illuminate and release our lanterns while reading the names of those who are loved and missed. A bagpiper will play over the lake, and as darkness settles, our lanterns will dance and float on the waters — illuminating our individual intentions, reflecting our collective impact and lighting up the night.
Live Music
Lakewood is honored to welcome back local musician Sarah Morris! Sarah is a songwriter, lover, and mother, documenting the glorious details of our messy, magical, everyday lives. The Minneapolis-based artist has become a fast favorite on the folk and Americana scene, charting on both the AMA Radio Chart and the Euro Americana Chart. She won the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Contest and has been a finalist in both NewSong and MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Called a “country-leaning Norah Jones” (Star Tribune), Morris brings a subtlety to her craft, leaning into the details of the story and the heart of the song.
Sarah will be performing all 3 nights!
Food and Beverages
Friday Night
Nautical bowls: Healthy and refreshing superfood smoothie bowls that are the perfect treat for all ages.
Saturday Night
Nautical bowls: Healthy and refreshing superfood smoothie bowls that are the perfect treat for all ages.
KCM Eggrolls: Delicious Vietnamese dishes inspired by traditional Vietnamese recipes.
Sunday Night
Nautical bowls: Healthy and refreshing superfood smoothie bowls that are the perfect treat for all ages.
Jamaican Delight Royalty: Authentic Jamaican cuisine for the whole family.
What to bring:
-
Copies of photos to attach to your lantern (no originals please, as lanterns will not be returned)
-
Your camera or smartphone to take pictures of your lantern
-
Something to snack on
-
Folding chairs or blankets for the ceremony
-
A flashlight or phone with a flashlight app to help you find your way after the ceremony
-
Art supplies will be provided, but you may bring your own if you’d like
Parking is available along roads inside the cemetery. We strongly encourage carpooling. Due to the nature of the grounds and roads within the cemetery, you may need to park a distance from the event site – wear comfortable shoes! There is handicap parking and drop-off available on either end of the event site near the lake. Signs will point the way from the front gates.
FAQs
What happens to the lanterns after this event?
Our grounds crew takes the time to sweep out the lake following this event (each night), clearing out the lanterns and removing any excess debris to protect the wildlife that call Lakewood home and keep the lake beautiful for families who may be visiting loved ones nearby.
Keeping our onsite lake clean is incredibly important to us, so we work hard to ensure that no trace is left in the water, while still offering this treasured memorial event for families.
After the event we toss out the paper that goes around the lanterns as it often gets damaged in the water, and we keep the lantern bases to reuse each year.
Can I still attend if I don’t have family buried at Lakewood?
Absolutely! Anyone can attend our Lantern Lighting Celebration.
You do not need to have family or loved ones buried at Lakewood, and you are welcome to honor whoever you would like on your lanterns. It’s true that many of our attendees are celebrating the life of someone at Lakewood, but it’s not a requirement.
Our Lantern Lighting Celebration is about coming together as a community to honor those are missed and loved. All are welcome.
Can I bring a photo to use my lantern?
Please bring copies of photographs! As mentioned above, the lanterns will very likely get wet and any photos will get damaged or potentially tossed out after the event.
Will any of the mausoleums or buildings be open for this event?
The Garden Mausoleum, Community Mausoleum, and the Memorial Chapel will all be open until 7pm. Please note that these buildings are about a half a mile away from the event location.
What happens if it rains?
The event may be canceled if there is heavy rain or thunderstorms. Should this happen, we will email all registered guests in advance of the event start time. We will also post here and on our Facebook page.
All tickets will be refunded.
If Friday or Saturday night are cancelled due to rain then all tickets will be refunded and guests are welcome to register for a different night. Lakewood is not able to transfer tickets to other nights in the event of a weather cancellation. You will need to start a new order.
Online reservations will stop at 10am on the day of the event.
If you would like to attend and online registration is closed, you are welcome to pay cash at the door.
We can only accept cash and do not have an ATM nearby.
Questions? Call the Lakewood events line at 612-540-5165 or email to events@lakewoodcemetery.org
Please note: As the event gets closer it is often quicker to email, since our team will be onsite by the event and away from their computers.
