Letting Go at the RiSE Lantern Festival Las Vegas

Attending the RiSE Lantern Festival Las Vegas has been on my bucket list for several years. I had seen photos of the RiSE lantern festival Las Vegas, where it looked like the sky had been lit up by glowing fireflies, and I thought it looked absolutely magical. I always just thought it would be a “cool” experience and now that we run our blog, I thought it would be a great photo opportunity. It ended up being so much more magical and spiritual than I could have expected. In fact, we ended up not even focusing very much on our photos at all just so we could soak in the breathtaking experience. Although I watched tons of videos beforehand, nothing prepared me for how truly magical it would be to see all the glowing lanterns soar up to the sky and take off in unison. Any words I write to describe it {breath taking, magical, spiritual, awe inspiring} will just seem cliche. It’s one of those rare moments in this digital age that are best experienced IRL instead of via social media. Instagram truly doesn’t do this one justice. I’ll describe our experience at the RiSE lantern festival Las Vegas the best I can, but I hope you will experience it for yourself one day. We are planning to go back each year and hope to also one day experience the lantern festival in Thailand.

Letting Go at the RiSE Lantern Festival Las Vegas

Beautiful video from a close friend of ours:

What is the Rise Lantern Festival Las Vegas?

From the RiSE Lantern Festival Las Vegas website, “RiSE elevates hope, ignites dreams, and creates moments you will never forget.” It’s all about getting together with your loved ones to let go of the past, embrace your dreams, elevate your hopes, and move forward in hope and positivity. Each person receives two lanterns to customize however they wish. Some people write letters to loved ones, others write their hopes and dreams, and others write what they’d like to let go of. There are two group launch times and everyone lights their lanterns and lets them go in unison. The moment all the lanterns soar up into the sky and float upwards is such a magical moment to witness.

Things to know about the RiSE Lantern Festival Las Vegas:

Where it’s held:

RiSE Festival takes place on the Moapa River Reservation in the Mojave Desert located about 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.

How to get there:

Depending on where you live, we recommend making Las Vegas your home base for RiSE Lantern Festival Las Vegas. Plan to fly into McCarran International Airport (LAS) if you are flying. Many hotels on the Vegas strip offer shuttle services. If you’re not planning on taking the shuttle, you can also drive. We personally chose to drive and found it to be convenient, as we drove straight to the lantern festival. There is an extra charge for parking and we were able to purchase parking passes upon arrival. We did get caught in quite a bit of traffic when heading out, but we were on such a high from the experience that we didn’t care. If the traffic will ruin the experience for you or you’re planning on drinking, you can purchase shuttle tickets when buying your lantern festival tickets. It’s a more convenient option and you don’t get caught in as much traffic as the shuttles have separate lanes.

Purchasing tickets:

We’ve never been able to go because the tickets sold out each year. This year there were still lots of tickets available even the same day. We recommend purchasing as soon as they go on sale just in case. In addition, you get quite a bit of a discount. Ticket prices are generally as follows: PreSale $89, Early $119, Regular $129, Day of $159. Don’t worry too much about which section your tickets are in, it doesn’t really matter. The venue is circular and being close to the stage isn’t necessarily advantageous. We were in the middle of the section we were in and I felt that offered the best view as there were lanterns all around us. I would imagine the front of the section would have a great view as well. We recommend attending the Friday lantern festival over the Saturday festival as it is historically less crowded. We also recommend purchasing weather insurance. The night after ours was cancelled last minute due to bad weather and people were not refunded for their tickets. People were understandably very upset. Knowing that is a real possibility, we will definitely spend the additional $20 for insurance next time.

What happens at the RiSE Lantern Festival Las Vegas and what time to arrive:

The schedule for the day is as follows:

• 3:00pm – Gates open
• 4:00pm – 8:00pm – Music, food and drink vendors
• 8:15pm – First launch of lanterns in unison
• 8:45pm– Second launch of lanterns in unison
• 8:50pm– Fireworks
• 8:50pm t0 10:15pm – Continue launching lanterns

What time to arrive just depends on what you want to experience. We didn’t really care about the music lineup and also couldn’t leave work early, so we got there just before the first lantern launch. If you’re going to be taking our lead with arriving just before the lantern launch, make sure you leave enough time to walk from the parking lot to the festival {about 15 minutes} and time to write on your lanterns and get situated without rushing {at least 20 minutes}. As far as when to leave, if you’re driving and want to wait out traffic, plan to wait until the very end and be one of the very last to leave. You can also leave early, but I’d rather wait in traffic than miss part of the festival.

What to bring with you:

You don’t really need to bring much with you as they provide 2 lanterns, markers, matches, and a mat to sit on. Here’s what we brought:

• Sweaters {we didn’t get cold as it was a nice night and the torches are lit, but you may need it}
• A camera {tripods are not allowed}
• Colorful sharpies {helpful if you want to get creative with your lantern beyond a black sharpie}
• Travel size wet wipes, toilet paper, and toilet seat covers {I actually have a pack of these in my purse at all times} – the bathrooms/porta potties are GROSS
• Hand sanitizer 
• Travel size flashlight {it can be helpful to have a light when leaving, when writing on your lanterns, and when using the porta potties}

You may also want to bring snacks if you’ll be there awhile. There are food and drinks vendors but they are pretty expensive. You can’t bring in alcohol with you, but you can bring in water. It’s not really a “let’s get wasted” type of event, even though it’s in Las Vegas. We actually didn’t drink at all.

What to wear:

Comfortable clothing you don’t mind getting dusty, but most importantly comfortable shoes. Wear shoes you don’t mind getting dirty, as they will get very very dusty. My shoes were caked in dust after. Bassam’s shoes and pants were very dusty. Although our particular festival night wasn’t cold, nights in the desert can be chilly so bring along a sweater.

How to light the lanterns:

Lighting the lanterns is surprisingly harder than it looks and the festival leader doesn’t provide as much instruction as I felt they should’ve. Our group lost quite a few that we weren’t able to fly and I noticed most people around us lost several lanterns as well. Here are a few helpful hints to get yours to soar:

• You get two lanterns and can purchase extras. We recommend flying the one you put the most effort into writing on second so that you’ve had some experience first. We tried to send my lantern up first and it didn’t work. I was pretty upset I didn’t get to fly my lantern when I had spent so much time writing my deepest hopes on it
• You’ll have the best luck if you have two people flying a lantern together. Work with a loved one and send your lanterns up one by one
• Open up the lantern, being careful not to tear it. Hover the block right over the torch {they have them all over and people share} until it’s fully lit. Be careful not to let the sides of the lantern light on fire. The biggest reason most lanterns didn’t fly is because the sides caught on fire. If you burn a hole in the lantern it’ll be harder to get it fly. Not impossible, but harder
• Continue to hold the lantern over the flame until you feel some resistance as the lantern starts to lift on its own. If you don’t notice this happening after several minutes, hold the lantern about half an inch above the ground as it fills up with hot air. Be very patient, eventually you will feel it start to lift
• At a certain point you just have to trust that your lantern is ready. Toss it up into the air gently and help it gain momentum. Keep your eye on it as it flies away. We loved trying to see how far we could follow our lantern. Even if you don’t care to see your lantern soar away, keep an eye on it until it’s safely in flight. Many lanterns will fall or not actually fly and can end up landing on someone. You’ll want to be vigilant in case you need to run after it or warn someone
• Stay aware of the lanterns around you. Although the lantern festival is not necessarily dangerous, there is the possibility of getting burned by a lantern that didn’t quite take off. You’ll want to be prepared to duck or dodge a lantern that’s coming towards you
• If you don’t get it right on the first or second try, don’t worry! You will get it to work. I freaked out when we weren’t able to get my lantern to fly and worried we wouldn’t be able to get any of them to fly, which took away from me being able to be fully immersed in the moment when all the lanterns launched. You WILL get your lantern to fly. Stay calm and be patient

Sustainability of the RiSE Lantern Festival Las Vegas:

We received many messages asking us if the lantern festival is bad for the environment. While we can’t speak for all the different lantern festivals out there, we felt comfortable in the sustainability efforts of the RiSE Lantern Festival Las Vegas. Their motto is “leave it better than we found it” and we felt they prioritized sustainability efforts. Their lanterns are specially designed with a short burn and flight time, this way they don’t fly too far away. After the event is over, the event staff retrieve 100% of the lanterns from the surrounding desert as well as any pre-existing litter that they find in the area. The lanterns are made of 100% biodegradable material. Additionally, the organizers purchase carbon offsets for every vehicle they use in the setup and cleanup of the festival. As always, do whatever makes YOU feel comfortable. We personally felt comfortable in attending this event, but we feel everyone should do their own research and come to their own conclusions.

Getting Personal – Our Lantern Messages

And I’ll rise up
I’ll rise like the day
I’ll rise up
I’ll rise unafraid
I’ll rise up

~Andra Day

Releasing our lanterns was so much more emotional and powerful than I expected it to be. The lantern I spent a ton of time pouring my heart out on didn’t fly up, but I quickly wrote my main message on Bassam’s lantern so that I could feel the satisfaction of releasing my deepest desires. It seemed fitting that it would work out for our messages to be on the same lantern as we always work best when we work as a team. There’s no right or wrong with what you can write on your lanterns, but here’s what we chose to write:

Bassam’s Lantern:

Bassam wrote about the things that have really been weighing on him. The main theme was that he wanted to let go of was the feeling that he needs to save everyone in the world. Bassam always feels like everyone in his life is his responsibility. He often puts other people’s needs ahead of his own and has a very difficult time saying “no” to others, even when it affects him or me negatively. Bassam always feels like he can do everything and feels like he is failing if he has to say “no” to a loved one. He’s slowly starting to realize that he can’t actually do everything and that’s okay. He’s also slowly starting to realize that every time he says “yes” to someone that also means he’s saying “no” to someone else and the “no” shouldn’t be directed at himself or me. It’s still a very big work in progress. For example, today he said “yes” to something he really should’ve said “no” to and he ended up adding a lot of unnecessary stress to his day and was unable to do a few things for himself he needed to do. In addition, he needed to back out of a few things he promised me. In the past, he wouldn’t have blinked an eye at this. That person needed him and that was that. Himself and myself could wait. Today, he finally realized he should’ve said “no” and that not saying “no” affected both of us negatively. It’s a huge step and something he’s continuing to work towards.

Lena’s Lantern:

On the very top on my lantern, I wrote the things I’m wanting to let go of. The biggest theme here was self limiting beliefs. Lately I’ve noticed I’ve been feeling a lot of insecurities and doubts about myself and I really feel like it’s holding me back. I vowed not to let my doubts and insecurities hold me back any longer. Under that, I wrote the things I’m walking dancing towards. {I literally wrote walking, then crossed it out and wrote dancing.} The biggest things here were confidence, unconditional love for myself, boldness, bravery, and positivity. Finally, I wrote two quotes that my mom always used to say to me, but I phrased them as things I will do. Here they are:

“I’m going to shoot for the moon, knowing that even if I miss, I’ll land among the stars”

“I know that no matter what the weather, I will always bring my own sunshine”

I’ve been trying to put my lantern into action. The very next day, an opportunity came up for me to engage in self limiting beliefs. Bassam and I wanted to take a photo somewhere I’ve been wanting to shoot at for a long time, but it was very crowded. Bassam said we’ll just do it next time we are in the area. I said, no, let’s do it now. We are creative enough to come up with a way around this perceived barrier. While this seems like such a silly example, I feel it’s important. It’s all the small things that collectively make up how we feel about ourselves and the lives that we lead. While this was a small thing, we consistently have this habit of “giving up” any time there aren’t ideal shooting conditions. I know we are a good team when we work together and if we just put our minds to it, we can come up with a solution. We ended up with 4 great shots. They weren’t the angle we initially were wanting, but they were just as great. Again, this is a very small example. But can you imagine the effect of repeatedly coming up with a solution to the barriers that we face, rather than saying, I can’t do it or it’s too hard.

It’s interesting to me how easily self limiting beliefs creep in. Sometimes I have thoughts that I don’t even recognize as self limiting beliefs, they seem like truly valid reasons why I can’t do something or something is not available to me. I’ve been trying to be better about recognizing those moments, because in reality, they are just self limiting beliefs. I am capable of more than I know and I can find a solution to more barriers than I always give myself credit for. I am trying to always remember that and believe that.

Today, I invested in a very expensive course and workshop which I hope will be positive for my career and my future. I cried for about 30 minutes after and had a mild panic attack. I felt so scared that I am undeserving of the investment or I will not be able utilize it in the way it needs to be utilized to make it worth it. I also felt embarrassed that I needed the course. I felt like maybe there’s something wrong me that I need this assistance and can’t just figure it out on my own. Eventually I was able to calm down and look at it objectively and without so much emotion. I spent a ton of money going to grad school. I felt no shame in needing to go to grad school to develop my skill set as a behavior therapist and I didn’t feel embarrassed that I couldn’t just “figure it out on my own”, so why did I feel like way about a course designed to improve my entrepreneurial skills? My self worth and my self confidence is often tied to my productivity and my emotional side felt like I was failure, whereas my rational side was able to eventually realize I’m paying money to further a skill set. As far as not being deserving, why not? I work very hard. I have a hard time saying that I “do my best” because I always think I can do better, but if I look at things without emotion, I know I work harder than a lot of people around me. Why should I feel I cannot succeed at this course? Again, self limiting beliefs and difficulty in giving myself unconditional love. Both are things I’m working on as they continue to present themselves in small and big ways.

Our Lantern:

Our lantern together was kind of a mish mash of things. We started off by writing our hopes for our relationship and our future. That turned into writing vows and just various sayings about how we want our relationship to be. Then we wrote different words, phrases, and dates that have significance to our relationship, such as “our song” lyrics, our important dates, and nicknames. Finally, we drew a little picture of the family we hope to have one day: us, 2 girls, a boy, and Buddy. Bassam also added a large dog, which I quickly crossed out because I really don’t want a large dog. It’s been an ongoing topic of conversation and we laughed about it. I thought it was fitting that we had something on the lantern that we disagreed about because we often have very differing feelings, but the positive is that we are able to laugh about it and it doesn’t turn into a huge argument.

Now the hard work comes of actually putting our desires into action! It’ll be a long and difficult journey, as most worth it things in life are, but we are prepared. Have you been to the RiSE lantern festival Las Vegas before? What would you write on your lantern?

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