Entry No. 87 — the Grand Junction file — filed under: after-dark
Water Lights at Night
Each autumn the city floats hundreds of LED-lit lanterns across the Butterfly Pond at Las Colonias Park, turning the water into a slow drift of warm glowing lights at sunset. You decorate your own lantern kit before the launch, and once it is fully dark a drone light show by a regional drone-show company takes over the sky. Food trucks line the park, making it a full evening rather than a quick photo stop. The 2026 edition runs October 10.
The story
Once a year in mid-October, Grand Junction turns Las Colonias Park's Butterfly Pond into a quiet grid of floating light. The city grounds the concept in water lantern traditions thousands of years old, but translates it to a very Western Slope scale: paper lantern kits, marker pens, and a quiet riverfront pond tucked behind the amphitheater.
You buy a flat-packed wooden and paper frame, find a bench, and write on the shade panels—tributes to lost relatives, inside jokes, or plain wishes. Inside goes a battery-operated LED rather than open flame. Just after sunset around 6:45 p.m., hundreds of these glowing cubes are pushed into the still water, drifting into a loose constellation across Butterfly Pond while the surrounding mesa fades into silhouette.
Once the water is fully illuminated and darkness sets in, the event shifts gears entirely. A regional drone light show team takes over the sky directly overhead, launching coordinated fleets of light-bearing quadcopters to form shifting illuminated symbols above the water while smoke from local food trucks drifts along the park limits.
What it's like
Show up right when gates open around 5:00 p.m. to secure parking at Las Colonias Landing and grab your lantern kit before lines stretch out. Bring extra layers; October nights off the river turn crisp fast the moment the sun drops behind the monument. Claim a spot on the grass or a picnic table to decorate your paper panels, launch your box right after twilight, then stick around on the lawn with something from the food trucks to watch the high-tech aerial show overhead.
The move: Buy a lantern kit, decorate it together at a picnic table, then launch it onto the pond at dusk and stay for the after-dark drone show over the water.
📍 Before you go One-night-a-year seasonal event (mid-October); lantern kits run about $8 each or six for $42, and lanterns launch shortly after the ~6:45 p.m. sunset.
- 📍 Grand Junction
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Butterfly Pond, Las Colonias Park, 1695 Las Colonias Lndg, Grand Junction, CO 81501
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Orchard Mesa Lanes — Located just over half a mile away, this 1982-vintage alley lets you trade the illuminated pond lawn for old-school wood lanes and cold beer.
- Candle Kitchen GJ — Spend the afternoon downtown custom-blending scents at the candle bar before heading down to the riverfront to decorate your water lantern.
- Moody's Lounge — Head downtown after the drone show to find the quiet neon symbol on Main Street and slip inside for a nightcap.
Good to know
When does the event take place and what are the hours?
It is an annual mid-October event. The 2026 edition takes place on October 10 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with lantern launches occurring shortly after sunset at roughly 6:45 p.m.
How much do lantern kits cost?
Individual kits run about $8 each, or you can purchase a six-pack for $42. Decorating supplies are provided on site.
Do the lanterns use real fire?
No. The floating lanterns use warm LED light modules inside paper and wood frames rather than open flame candle wicks.
Are food and drinks available at the park?
Yes, local food trucks line the park perimeter for the duration of the event.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: gjcity.org · visitgrandjunction.com · westernslopenow.com · gjparksandrec.org
last checked: 2026-06-23