The NYC Lantern Festival Will Amaze Your Whole Family This Holiday Season

The NYC Winter Lantern Festival is returning to Snug Harbor on Staten Island, plus it's opening at Queens County Farm Museum and Nassau County Museum of Art.

By Barbara Russo September 8, 2021

The NYC Winter Lantern Festival to the New York City area with two new locations: The Queens County Farm Museum and The Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn. The festival, which is known for its breathtaking light displays, will also return to Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden on Staten Island, where it initially launched in 2018 and was followed by another successful run in 2019. It was cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

With the return of the NYC Winter Lantern Festival—and NYBG's Holiday Train Show and NYBG GLOW, LuminoCity Festival, and the Bronx Zoo's lights—the holiday season is shaping up to be a merry and bright one!

Each location will have its own theme and lanterns:

Illuminate the Farm: The festival will turn the Queens County Farm Museum, located at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Glen Oaks, into a colorful field full of farm animals, flowers, and more. The lantern festival at Queens County Farm will be held Nov. 25-Jan. 9, 2022, Thursday-Sunday, 4:30-9:30pm. Tickets start at $24.99 for adults and $16.99 for children ages 3-12.
A Bug's Night: This 20-acre drive-through adventure at the Nassau County Museum of Art, located at 1 Museum Drive in Roslyn, will explore the world from a bug's point of view. The lantern festival at NCMA will be held Oct. 22-Jan. 9, 2022, Wednesday-Sunday, 5-10pm. Tickets start at $34.99.
Escape: The festival's flagship location at Snug Harbor, located at 1000 Richmond Terrace on Staten Island, will feature a breathtaking 8-acre light installation with brilliant displays of flowing flowers, an open sky, and deep sea adventures. The lantern festival on Staten Island will be held Oct. 29-Jan. 2, 2022, Friday-Sunday, 4:30-9:30pm. Tickets start at $24.99 for adults and $16.99 for children ages 3-12.

At the peak of the holiday season, all three locations will be open nightly, Dec. 24-Jan. 2, 2022. Tickets are on sale now for all three locations. In celebration of the festival's return, a special 20-percent discount is available through Oct. 15.

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“During the first two years of the festival, we saw how much joy it brought to the residents of Staten Island,” says Haokun Liu, producer of the NYC Winter Lantern Festival.”We are so excited to share the festival with an even larger audience in and around the city this year.”

Additional activities at all events include concession stands, a gift shop, and an interactive projection light display.

For more information, visit nycwinterlanternfestival.com or follow the festival on Facebook or Instagram.