Food, Entertainment & Attractions
LANTERNS
Celebrate the Year of the Dragon with 18 separate three-dimensional dragons or dragon sculptures and more than 900 dragons lining the Palace Lantern Corridor display! Immerse yourself in Chinese culture and enjoy an array of more than 1,200 individual creations in nearly 40 enormous displays!
View lantern names and locations within the park HERE.
COLLEGE MOVE-IN DISCOUNT
Show your current college ID at the gate and receive a $5 discount. Valid Monday – Thursday through August 29. Tickets must be purchased at the gate. Offer not valid for online ticket purchases. Valid IDs from all colleges and universities accepted. Offer valid only for the person shown on the ID.
ENTERTAINMENT
In addition to larger-than-life illuminated lanterns, festival admission includes three main stage live performances every night, including Face-Changing, Artistic Hula-Hooping, Teeter Boarding, Chair Hand-Standing, Spacewalking, Body Balancing, and Folk Dance.
Teeter Board – Performers use a teeter board for balancing as well as rope skipping, juggling, and handstands.
Chair Hand-Standing – Performers balance on chairs while also balancing a variety of objects in this practice of Chinese acrobatics.
Spacewalking – Performers demonstrate various thrills like circling, hand-standing, and walking with the help of aerial ropes and supports.
Body Balancing – Body Balancing integrates power and aesthetics, demonstrating the strength and robustness of the human body with handstands and weightlifting, while incorporating dance movements.
Folk Dance – Folk dance is both popular and meaningful to a culture, which includes the dancers, specific music, costumes, and specific occasions. A dancer in traditional costume will express themselves through the rich language of body movement, conveying good wishes.
The Franklin Square Fountain Show in the Rendell Family Fountain features the song, “Little Apple” by Chopstick Brothers, sponsored by Tianyu Arts & Culture and created specifically for the Chinese Lantern Festival.
The Franklin Square Fountain Show and stage performances are included in Festival admission.
Entertainment schedule:
6, 6:30, & 7 pm – Fountain Shows
7:30 pm – Stage Performances
8 & 8:30 pm – Fountain Shows
9 pm – Stage Performances
9:30 & 10 pm – Fountain Shows
10:15 pm – Stage Performances
10:30 pm – Fountain Show
Check out free activities in Franklin Square!
Note: performers are subject to change.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Oishii
Assorted Asian-inspired options from an array of cuisines
Sang Kee
Chinese selections from one of Chinatown’s premiere restaurants
SquareBurger operated by Cooperage
Delicious traditional treats and Philly favorites, including burgers, chicken tenders, and the fan favorite Cake Shake
Humpty’s Dumplings
Fusion dumplings with a contemporary twist such as cheesesteak, buffalo chicken, and jackfruit burrito
Hunnypie
Variety of personal 9″ pizzas including pepperoni, tomato, and vegan
Lotus Cocktail Garden operated by Cescaphe
Raise a glass in the Lotus Cocktail Garden and enjoy beer, wine, and specialty drinks.
All food vendors accept cash and major credit cards.
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
Immerse yourself in Chinese culture with Cultural Connections demonstrations Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays free with festival admission!
6:30 pm – Photos with the Face Changer – Take photos with the Face Changer after you watch him perform on-stage!
7:15 pm – Dumpling Demonstration with Sang Kee – Learn dumpling history and learn to make this favorite bite-sized treat!
8:15 pm – Folk Dance Lesson – Learn the ancient art of folk dancing from Lantern Festival
performers.
9 pm – Dumpling Demonstration with Sang Kee – Learn dumpling history and learn to make this favorite bite-sized treat!
FOLK ARTISTS
Authentic Chinese Folk artists create works of art through a variety of traditional art forms.
Aluminum Braiding
A traditional folk craft, aluminum braiding is done with colorful oxidized aluminum wire. Artists fold, bend, and weave the materials to create various shapes like mythical animals, plants, vehicles, and other objects.
Inner-Bottle Painting
A Chinese art form where artists paint detailed elegant images and calligraphy on the inside surface of glass bottles using a specialized paint brush through the neck of the bottle. In 2008, inner-bottle painting was added to the Chinese National Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Lantern Painting
Lanterns are a traditional handicraft from the Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE), developed into regional styles made of bamboo, silk, paper, and other materials. With the establishment of lantern festivals and holidays, colored lanterns became more popular and now include a variety of decorative painting styles.
WEATHER POLICY
The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival is a rain-or-shine event. Our lanterns are built to withstand all weather; however, severe weather or lightning within a 20-mile radius of Franklin Square can pose a safety concern for our guests and staff. This may cause us to pause the Festival.
If the Festival reopens within an hour, we are unable to offer refunds. If we are forced to close for longer than 60 minutes, guests may reschedule their ticket(s) or have their purchase refunded.
If inclement weather is forecasted, please check your email, our social media channels, or our website for updates. If weather conditions force a cancellation, guests will be offered a choice of rescheduling or refunding their ticket(s).
ATTRACTIONS
Parx Liberty Carousel
Hop on Center City’s only carousel featuring hometown heroes Afleet Alex, Smarty Jones, and other animals. Ticket price with Festival admission: Ages 3+: $3 per ride; children 2 and under: FREE.
INSIDER TIP: Receive a $1 discount on Parx Liberty Carousel during festival hours. Buy tickets HERE
Tickets bought through the above link are only valid during Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival hours with a Festival ticket.
Philly Mini Golf
The 18-hole course features reproductions of Philadelphia icons and landmarks such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Ben Franklin Bridge, the Liberty Bell, and the Chinatown Friendship Gate. Ticket price with Festival admission: Adults: $12; children 3-12: $10; children 2 and under: FREE with a paid accompanying guardian.
INSIDER TIP: Receive a $1 discount on Philly Mini Golf during festival hours. Buy tickets HERE
Tickets bought through the above link are only valid during Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival hours with a Festival ticket.
Daytime Scavenger Hunt
Participate in the free Lantern Scavenger Hunt to win free tickets to ride the Parx Liberty Carousel! Visit the Ticket Booth in Franklin Square for information.
PRESENTED BY
SPONSORED BY
Proceeds from the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival directly support the operation and management of Franklin Square and many free events and programs throughout the year.
*Photos by Jeff Fusco for Tianyu Arts & Culture