Entry No. 86 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: after-dark
Water Lantern Festival at Prospect Lake
Each summer, hundreds of people gather at Prospect Lake to decorate floating paper lanterns with an LED candle inside, then release them onto the water together after sunset. Gates open in the early evening with food trucks and live music; lantern decorating starts around 8 p.m. and the launch runs roughly 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., covering the lake in reflected light. Every lantern is collected afterward so nothing is left behind.
The story
Drive past Prospect Lake in Memorial Park on an ordinary summer evening and you will see standard municipal fare: paddleboarders, shoreline anglers, and Pikes Peak towering over the western skyline. But for one night each summer—typically in late June—the water gets commandeered for a quiet, eccentric spectacle. Hundreds of people line the grass with wooden bases, paper sleeves, and tealights, writing scribbled notes, memorials, and artwork onto flat paper before assembling floating lanterns to set adrift at dusk.
It looks like an ancient water ritual, but the production behind it is thoroughly organized. Your ticket gets you a flat-packed assembly kit containing a square wooden platform, four support rods, a paper sleeve, a marker, and an LED tealight. You build it on a lawn blanket while food trucks churn out burritos and stage performers play music in the background. Despite persistent local urban legends confusing it with untraceable sky-lantern scams, this event operates under official city permits, and the organizers spend the late night skimming every piece of wood and paper off the water so Prospect Lake stays clean.
What gives the night its weird pull is the contrast between the commercial festival setup and the personal gravity on the paper. Look closely at the illuminated squares floating past the shore and you will spot hand-drawn mandalas sitting right next to tributes to lost relatives, private confessions, and raw ink sketches. Once darkness settles over the park and the lake catches the collective flicker of hundreds of drifting lights, the atmosphere along the bank goes strangely silent.
What it's like
Arrive around 5:30 p.m. when gates open if you want to stake out lawn space near the shoreline and avoid traffic jams along East Pikes Peak Avenue, but know that nothing major happens on the water until nightfall. Pick up your drawstring bag with your lantern kit, claim a spot on the grass, and piece together your frame while food lines wind through the park. Around 8:00 p.m., after brief stage talks and launch instructions, the crowd drifts down to the water's edge. Bring a low lawn chair or heavy blanket, pack a warm jacket for when cold air settles over the lake after sunset, and watch your step on the slick shoreline grass when everyone steps down to launch around 8:30 p.m.
The move: Decorate a paper lantern together, then wade to the shoreline and set it adrift among thousands of glowing lights on the lake.
📍 Before you go One-night annual event (held around late June); buy tickets in advance. Each ticket includes a lantern and decorating kit. The launch happens after sunset, so dress for cool evening air.
- 📍 Colorado Springs (Memorial Park)
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Memorial Park - Prospect Lake, 1605 E Pikes Peak Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80910
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Rabbit Hole — After watching illuminated paper lanterns float across Prospect Lake, head 1.3 miles west to descend into a gothic subterranean speakeasy built inside a former city morgue.
- Shrunken Head Tiki Bar — Follow up your open-air evening at the lake with underground drinks behind an unmarked Tejon Street entrance.
- Candlelight Concerts at First United Methodist Church — Trade the floating lights on Prospect Lake for thousands of flickering LED flames inside a historic downtown church sanctuary.
- Novis Mortem Collective (classes by The Terrorium Shop) — Pair the personal ritual of decorating floating lanterns with a hands-on taxidermy or insect-pinning workshop at this downtown oddities gallery.
Good to know
What is included with a general admission ticket?
Each ticket includes entry to the festival grounds at Memorial Park, a lantern kit (wooden base, four support rods, rice paper sleeve, and LED tealight), a marker, and a commemorative drawstring bag.
What happens to the lanterns after they are released onto Prospect Lake?
Event staff and crew retrieve every floating lantern from the lake immediately following the release window, collecting the wood, paper, and LED lights so no debris is left behind.
When does the lantern launch take place?
Gates and food trucks open around 5:30 p.m., lantern decorating begins around 8:00 p.m., and the floating launch window runs from roughly 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. after sunset.
Can visitors bring outside food and lawn chairs?
Yes, visitors are allowed to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and outside food or snacks to set up on the grass, though food trucks operate on site throughout the evening.
Is this event suitable for children?
Yes, it is an all-ages event where families can sit on the park lawn, decorate lanterns together, and launch them along the shore.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · visitcos.com · coloradosprings.gov · denvergazette.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-23