One of the best travel memories I have is starting atthe sky as paper lanterns float away. I could hear the song in the movie Tangled as one lantern after another lit the night. 

On the second night of the Yee Peng Festival, we booked spots at an organized event on the outer city of Chiang Mai. Events such as these mostly cater to tourist and are a lot more expensive. They do however sell out fast so if you plan to join one make sure to book early to get good seats.  

The tour fee usually includes round trip transportation, food, and lanterns. Make sure to read the inclusions as they vary per organizer. Our packaged was more than $100 for VIP seats that included transportation, unlimited food & beverage, souvenir, 2 lanterns per person, travel insurance, and ceremony entrance fee. We were supposed to be picked up at 4 PM then arrive at the event space at 5PM. The travel organizer had issues with transportation so we opted to take a cab and have them reimburse when we arrived. 

At 6:00, the welcome festivities started were there were drum dance show and musicians. We were given the souvenirs as we entered: a small hand painting & bag. 

An authentic Lanna dinner was also served in the theme of local market. There would be many stalls were you can sample their cuisine. They used banana leaves and native materials which was beautiful and environment friendly. The beverages were served in small pots. 

There were also different stalls selling handicrafts and souvenirs. There were limited seating but there were mats & pillows where you can dine in. 

At 8:30, the gates to the main area was opened and were directed our seats.  

The main stage was a pagoda in the center and the seats encircled it. 

When almost everyone was seated they distributed the paper lanterns. 

A short ritual and meditation was led by monks. Then instructions on how to light the lantern were given in Thai & in English. Best to review on how to light them correctly before hand for you safety. 

There were makeshift lanterns with bottles we used to light the lanterns. As the area had chairs,  it was a little tricky to lit the lanterns. 

We decided to take our time and light one lantern as a group. This allowed us to be safe and to take photos. There were several instances even in an organized group that lanterns dropped back down after being released and paper of the lanterns burned as the other guest lit them.

 As a group of 4, one of us was assigned to keep an eye out for any fire hazards coming our way. One was taking photos while the other two lit lanterns. 

With the sheer number of participants, there was a steady stream of lanterns floating and lighting the sky.  I would find myself stopping whatever I was doing and just standing in awe as the beauty of the lanterns floated away.

 

It was definitely worth it and would love to attend another festival in the future. 

Make sure to follow the dress code (modest clothing - cover knees and shoulders).