‘Reimagined’ River of Light goes on display Saturday, Dec. 5
November 28, 2020 | By Lisa Scagliotti 
Instructions to make simple vellum lanterns are on the River of Light website: www.ariveroflightinwaterbury.org. Photo courtesy MK Monley.
UPDATE: This story was updated Nov. 29 with information about driving through and retrieving lanterns.
It will have a familiar feel but this year’s River of Light lantern parade will have a completely different look when it comes together next Saturday as a drive-through affair rather than a boisterous event that attracts a large crowd.
Chalk it up to COVID-19 to set organizers scrambling to come up with a creative yet safe way to keep the tradition now in its 11th year alive during a pandemic.
“We agreed that this is not a year to cancel. It’s a year to re-imagine,” said Waterbury artist and one of the event’s lead organizers Sarah-Lee Terrat.
Some of the typical elements remain the same: it has a theme - Brave Little State - and everyone is encouraged to make a new lantern or bring one they’ve saved from years before.
But while school students have been making new lanterns in art classes, there have not been weekend workshops for community members as in prior, more normal years. Art teacher and event organizer M.K. Monley explained that it just wasn’t doable to get people together. Here’s what’s new:
The 2020 River of Light poster designed by Sarah-Lee Terrat. Edited to indicate organizers’ preference that people view from their vehicles.
The River of Light will be a series of displays at Dac Rowe Park in downtown Waterbury, Crossett Brook Middle School in Duxbury, Camp Meade in Middlesex, and Waitsfield Elementary School.
On Saturday, Dec. 5, volunteers will be at each of the locations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help participants hang their lanterns on structures set up for this event. The long time window was arranged to allow for social distancing.
Starting at dusk by 5 p.m., people are invited to visit each of the locations to view the displays preferably from their vehicles. Everyone is asked to stick with their family groups and if on foot, to wear masks, of course.
When it’s over, volunteers will collect lanterns made by school students and return them to school. Those who brought lanterns to the displays should return on Sunday to retrieve their lantern by 3 p.m. when everything will be collected and removed.
There’s parade-day information available online on the River of Light website along with video tutorials to help those who would like to construct a lantern at home: ariveroflightinwaterbury.org.