Belgrave Lantern Parade: Join our eclipse of moths
The Belgrave Lantern Parade is back on Saturday 20 June, and we can’t wait. Once night falls, the festival comes alive with glowing creatures drifting down the main street of Belgrave while crowds of cameras and curious onlookers emerge from every direction and vantage point.
Among them is a giant illuminated moth lantern that seems to stop people in their tracks. Children point and adults reach for their phones and to be honest, we get this very question…
“Is it bird?… Are they butt cheeks?… no…it’s a giant moth! It's easy to see why.
Now, our moth is no ordinary lantern. The wings move. As we walk, volunteers can gently flap them so the moth appears to be flying through the streets of Belgrave. It is genuinely beautiful and surprisingly lifelike.
Unfortunately, there is a small design feature. To make the whole thing work, someone has to stand in the middle holding the structure up. That someone is often me. This means that while everyone else sees a majestic glowing moth soaring through the night, my view consists largely of being wedged between two enormous wings.
Or, as several entirely unhelpful people have pointed out over the years, "the giant glowing butt cheeks."
Nothing quite prepares you for spending an evening proudly representing your community while emerging from what appears to be the world's largest illuminated backside. Yet here we are.
Despite this, the Belgrave Lantern Parade remains one of my favourite events of the year. There is live music, great food, market stalls and that wonderful feeling that the whole community has come out to play. Teenagers descend on Belgrave in huge numbers and somehow all know exactly where to find each other. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming and just the right amount of quirky. The mulled wine also deserves special mention. It may be one of the main reasons I continue attending.
Now for some practical advice.
If you're travelling down from Monbulk, Kallista, Olinda, Sassafras or further up the hill, getting into Belgrave can become a test of patience. Traffic builds quickly at the round about and even though the train station has more spaces, parking can be challenging. My recommendation is to park at Upwey or Upper Ferntree Gully and catch the train. You'll avoid most of the traffic and arrive far less stressed.
The second tip is one I share every year. Everyone looks for the perfect place to stand and watch the parade.
The best place is actually inside it. In the parade there are:
No crowds,
No blocked views,
No standing on tiptoes trying to see over someone wearing a particularly ambitious beanie.
Just glowing lanterns, music, laughter and the experience of being part of something magical.
This year Mums of the Hills will once again be bringing our giant flying moth. We also have materials to make plenty of smaller lanterns and we'd love an entire eclipse of moths to join us. Come along, carry a lantern, help flap a wing, meet some new people and experience the parade from the inside. On the night we’ll meet in front of Belgrave library where the moth is stored. For those wanting to create their own lantern, we’ll put on a workshop if we get the numbers.
Who knows? You might even end up mildly famous in someone’s amazing photos that captured the event, or, at the very least, partially hidden behind a pair of giant glowing moth butt cheeks.
