Help Okehampton Lanterns Procession to shine bright!

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Lantern procession 2022

The Okehampton Lanterns Procession is back for 2024 – and the local charity co-ordinating it, Wren Music, are encouraging families and groups in the town to help the event to shine brightly.

After a break in 2023, the procession makes a welcome return on Saturday 24 February, following generous support from Okehampton United Charities, South West Water’s Neighbourhood Fund and the In-Step Research team.

The main theme this year is a celebration of Okehampton as a town with two rivers.

Plans are already well under way, and during half-term from Monday 12 – Friday 16 February, Wren Music will be holding lantern-making workshops for all the family. Local groups are also invited to get in touch with Wren Music if they’d like help with creating lanterns for the event. The main location for the workshops will be Wren’s building at Ebenezer Hall, North Street.

The procession starts at dusk and makes its way from St James Chapel to Simmons Park, where the lanterns will be displayed in a tableau, with dancing from Okehampton Community Dance Project and music from Wren. Marilyn Tucker, Creative Director at Wren Music, says: “It’s a lovely community event, with music and dance and all these wonderful lanterns. And what’s really nice about the project is that we reach lots and lots of families who want to make the lanterns, and it’s an opportunity to bring all the generations together.”

The return of Okehampton Lanterns also means it’s all systems go for a Wren Music project to create a new street band for the event. The band was put together in October, after a public appeal for people to join, and comprises brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The band made its debut at Okehampton Carnival in October and is now rehearsing for Okehampton Lanterns.

The band is led by Wren Music’s multi-talented community musician, Jon Dyer: “We are working with traditional folk music and adapting it for a street band set-up and also looking at street band traditions from around the world. We can’t wait for the Lanterns Procession now. It’s going to be loads of fun.”

You can watch a short video about the 2022 Okehampton Lanterns on Wren Music’s YouTube channel. To get involved, contact Wren Music by email at info@wrenmusic.co.uk or on 01837 53754.