You step through the gates as twilight melts into darkness. Ahead, a path winds between trees – but these aren’t ordinary pines. They glow. They pulse. They tell stories whispered across oceans and centuries.
Then you see it – a dragon. Not just any dragon. A 200-foot crimson serpent floating impossibly across Symphony Lake, its scales shimmering with around 600,000 LED lights and its head raised 21 feet into the winter sky. It took a crane and 15 people just to install the head. It weighs as much as a small house.
Welcome to the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival, where 2,000-year-old tradition meets cutting edge artistry. This isn’t just a local event. Only six communities nationwide host Tianyu Arts & Culture festivals – Seattle, Oakland, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Orlando and right here in Cary. North Carolina is in extraordinary company. Located at Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary and running November 15, 2025 – January 11, 2026, this event promises to dazzle with brilliant displays…