Chinese Lantern Festival

A 164-foot lantern floats on Symphony Lake this season, one of more than 40 displays lighting Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, each built by Chinese artisans from hundreds of individual pieces and lit by thousands of LEDs.

Now in its 11th year, the walk-through festival takes 45 to 75 minutes along paved, wheelchair-accessible paths, with nightly cultural arts performances on the main stage and Asian-inspired concessions and holiday treats along the way. Food trucks roll in Fridays and Saturdays.