Morningside Lights Returns with Lanterns Inspired by 1965

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Morningside Lights is coming back this fall, bringing its signature glow to Morningside Park with a lantern procession on Saturday, September 20 at 8 p.m.

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Now in its 14th year, the annual event invites neighbors, students, and visitors to walk together through the park and onto Columbia University’s campus, surrounded by handmade lanterns that light up the night. Each one is created by members of the community during a week of free public workshops — this year, themed around the year 1965.

Why 1965? It’s the year Columbia’s School of the Arts was founded — and a time of bold creativity, experimentation, and change. From civil rights to pop art to space exploration, the year left a cultural footprint that continues to shape art and life today. The 30+ lanterns in this year’s procession will each reflect an idea, image, or influence from that time.

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The lantern-building workshops take place September 13–19 at Columbia’s Miller Theatre (Broadway and 116th Street), with afternoon and evening sessions available. They’re open to everyone, though children under 10 will need to sit this one out — and kids 10 and up must work with a participating adult. Registration opens September 3 at morningside-lights.com.

Those who want to carry a lantern in the procession can show up an hour early — at 7 p.m. — for a quick rehearsal at 120th Street and Morningside Avenue. Lanterns will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis.

The event is led by Processional Arts Workshop and presented in collaboration with the Friends of Morningside Park. It began in 2012 as a way to bring Columbia and the neighborhood closer together — and to shine a literal light on Morningside Park.

All events are free and open to the public. Learn more here.

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