Cary’s Under the Silver Moon lantern parade draws families downtown

Under a clear winter sky on Saturday evening, Cary hosted the fifth annual Under the Silver Moon community lantern parade, a free arts activation that launched GLOW 2026’s downtown light-art season. The parade began at 6:00 p.m. in Downtown Cary Park with participants gathering at the Frantz Square Lawn for a family-friendly procession that emphasized safety and accessibility.

The town’s event page laid out participant logistics: attendees were asked to assemble at Frantz Square Lawn, follow a no open flames policy and leave pets at home. Organizers provided entertainment and music partners, and the parade followed a route designed to showcase new light installations across downtown. Lantern-making workshops, run by the event’s lead teaching artist and collaborators, were available in the weeks leading up to the parade; residents registered through Cary’s RecTrac system to reserve spots. The event page included a workshop schedule and participation guidance, along with accessibility and family notes to help people plan attendance.

For Wake County residents, the parade is more than a visual attraction. Free, recurring cultural events like this concentrate evening foot traffic in downtown corridors, which can translate into increased sales for restaurants, cafes and small retailers located near the route. Local governments often use arts programming to animate public space and support economic recovery in commercial districts, with relatively low direct cost to participants. Cary’s decision to keep the parade free and accessible lowers barriers for families and helps broaden the audience for downtown businesses and cultural partners.

Public safety measures were integral to the event’s design. The no open flames rule enabled use of delicate paper lanterns while reducing fire and liability risks. The town also highlighted accessibility considerations to welcome families with young children and visitors with mobility needs. Those operational choices reflect a broader municipal trend of prioritizing inclusive, low-risk cultural programming that still delivers meaningful community engagement.

The parade also functioned as a practical gateway to GLOW 2026’s larger slate of light-art installations, bringing residents into direct contact with the artworks and sparking evening activity in Downtown Cary. For residents who want to participate in future lantern workshops, Cary’s RecTrac registration remained the entry point and the town’s event page offered detailed schedules and participation guidance.

The takeaway? If you missed this year’s procession, mark next January on your calendar, sign up early for workshops and plan to arrive before 6:00 p.m. to secure a good spot. Our two cents? Treat a night at GLOW as an opportunity to support downtown businesses and enjoy a low-cost family outing that helps brighten Cary’s winter downtown scene.