Hilton Head Island Lantern Parade

The day is finally here! After all of the Rays hard work creating their lanterns it was time to march in the parade!

This was the first annual HHI Lantern Parade so we really had no clue what to expect but we knew the Rays would have a blast!

As we were assembling for the parade we were absolutely blown away by the number of participants! There were so many different groups of all ages with the most beautiful and creative lanterns! We saw sea turtles, jelly fish, giant birds, an owls nest, lanterns that looked like local buildings and even some that were hats! It was whimsical, festive and so much fun!!

We were behind a brass marching band who had Christmas lights strung all over their instruments! We danced and laughed as we proudly carried our lanterns the mile down the sandy beach.

Spectators lined the entire way and cheered us along as they ooh’ed and aahh’d over all of the creations! Photos can’t truly do this event justice so if you ever have the chance to participate or check it out, I highly encourage you to do so!

The best part of the night was this kind quote we got from the HHI Office of Cultural Affairs, “We loved our time with the Rays and it means the world to have them participate in both the art making and the installation. They were an important piece of the whole.” THIS is what its all about!!