Went to this event for Austin (2/14/2026). They changed the time for the event at the last minute and you can't enter any time before. The delay was an hour and a half $30 parking fee announced last minute as well. My boyfriend and I got boxed in which is a safety hazard. . Only 6 food vendors and that includes desert. Very poor entertainment. They had no approval from the fire department to send the lanterns up and it was 7PM at this point.... which was the time the event was support to end... . Way too many people for such little amount of things (bathroom, food) Thankfully my boyfriend and I left early. We had to move trees out if the way just to leave our parking spot due to being boxed in so we were very upset with having to pay $30 for parking. The only reason this getting 2 stars is because of the beautiful double rainbow. Overall there was no organization at the event.. Will not be attending again. read more

Amazing once (or twice!) in a lifetime experience Depending on how hot the week is will determine how you will fare before the actual lantern portion begins. If you're able to, bring a tent/shade and blankets for the day. However, once the sun sets it may get chilly. People will be setting off lanterns prematurely but please wait!! It's so much more beautiful when thousands of people are releasing them together You WILL be sneezing out sand the next day, but it will have been worth it! Pro tip: bring your own toilet paper!! read more

I'm giving it one star for the magical sky lantern experience! Everything else was very unorganized and a nightmare. My sister and I arrived early to the location to save a spot, and there was already a long line in the security area. They expected about 10,000 people to arrive and they only had 2 lines under 1 tent for security check. They weren't even checking thoroughly. A lot of people sneaked in alcohol and I could smell marijuana in the air so it was useless! They had about 20 porta potties for 10,000 people in one area so before the event even started, the toilet paper was all out and the wash area was out of water. Entertainment sucked! They had live music at a small stage, and it was very boring. Also, it said on their website that the lanterns would get lit up by nightfall so we were thinking they'll do the actual event around 6 or 7pm since it got dark around 5pm, but no. They made everyone wait until a lot of people got impatient and started lighting up their lanterns. In the end, they had to start the countdown because everyone pretty much let their lanterns go off in the sky so they had no choice. I don't blame them because a lot of people came early around 1:30pm at least. Lastly, getting out of the event was such a big pain! They had no exit signs and no staff directing the cars out of the parking lot. A lof of cars made their own route to get out, and everyone else just followed. I ended up off roading in the middle of the desert which I did not came prepared for. It took almost 2 hours just to get out of the dirt and be on the main road because of the craziness and the traffic. Whoever the event organizers are do not care. This all could have been more organized and a pleasant experience for everyone especially a lot of people came with their families and little children, and it was quite a drive just to get to this event. read more

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It's honestly fun and beautiful for 30 mins of everyone lightening their lanterns and trying to push them into the sky, the most gorgeous view ever with all the lights. BUT one, the address is crap, it'll send you to an address an hour away from the actual address and customer support will be no help. You will most likely get lost but look for wheeler drive most importantly. Plus, to enter lots of traffic but to leave?? NIGHTMARE Would I recommend this event? Honestly, it's so beautiful with everyone lifting their lanterns to the sky, but get here early and leave right after to avoid all the freaking traffic on a one way dirt street. read more

The event was absolutely terrible! These people are so unprepared and understaffed. There were over 6000 people and we saw maybe 4 staff members inside the event. There were so many cars it took well over an hour to park. They don't even scan tickets or have any type of security. There is zero organization; people just sit wherever and block walkways and people are constantly just walking through your stuff or right in front of you. It so crowded people are overlapping each others stuff. Getting out was the worst part. There was one lane out. Zero people to direct traffic leading to everyone cutting eachother off and speeding through the parking lot, honking and taking two hours to get outside of the parking area. The lights were cool but it lasted about was like 15 minutes. read more

If I could give 0 stars, I absolutely would. I paid over $150 for the Atlanta Lights Festival and it was canceled due to weather, which I understand. What I don't understand is why NO ONE has been in contact about rescheduling the event nor anything about a refund. read more

This has potential to be much better if executed properly. The lights fest is a beautiful event that people travel long distances to experience. Once you arrive to the location, you will have you drive on a dirt road for a few miles until you get to the parking area. Parking is a mess and cost $35 per car this year. The entry line was really long when I arrived around 3:30pm but died down around 5:30pm. The traffic to get in gets worse by the hour and parking closed at 6:30pm. If you don't get in early enough, you won't get a spot by the torches. No alcohol allowed but this year they had a tent with beer and wine for purchase. They had several food options. It gets very crowded but the lanterns are launched around 8pm depending on winds. Bring something to entertain yourself because their entertainment is pretty bad. When leaving, traffic can be a nightmare. People are crazy drivers in the parking lot. Aside from all the struggles to make this event happen, it really is a magical moment to see all the lanterns go up at once. read more

The Lights Fest - Festivals Near Me - Imperial, California

The traffic to get there was really confusing and they even had to send out a message letting us know that we shouldn't use Google maps only Apple because it would send us to a different location in the middle of nowhere past 5 PM when we were supposed to already be there. The line was so long that we were two hours late and the food trucks were weirdly lined up that the lines of the food truck would combine and confuse people. read more

I bought tickets for an event years ago and unfortunately wasn't able to attend. I've been watching their schedule ever since so that I could use those tickets for a future event. 3 years later I finally find an event that is close to me, but unfortunately I have been emailing them for weeks and have heard absolutely nothing back from them. I even reached out on their social media platforms and the only one that responded to me was instagram, but even she said that she hasn't heard from their customer service regarding my issue. Their customer service is all over the place and they don't do refunds, so I'm most likely not going to hear from them and I'm gonna miss out on another event. Do not recommend at all spend your money elsewhere. read more

Blatant scam . 3 cancellations over 6 months in Colorado . Asked for refund of over $400 after third rescheduling -now over a year . THIEVES . DO NOT SUPPORT . THEY WILL STEAL YOUR MONEY . ZERO STARS - Even though you can't leave a review without 1star . read more

Incredibly disappointing. Asked people to be there @ 130, still not setting off lanterns at 830 (been dark for 3.5 hours). horrible bands, not promoted and basically a dude with a guitar. Even worse they did some form of awful karaoke and refused to let people set off lanterns. For those that grew impatient, MC berrated festival go-ers For lengths at a time. Comparing the To people who dont put their grocery carts away, don't say thank you, ungrateful, on and on....Dude should not have had a Mike, highly questionable his sobriety and people skills. people leaving by the droves. finally left at 9pm, no lanterns and a supreme bummer. Do NOT recommend. Save your money and better yet your time. read more

The Lights Fest continues to scam people with zero accountability. They sold tickets for an event right up until the day before, even though they knew there was a fire ban and the event couldn't possibly happen. They charged for insurance, promised refunds, and have yet to return a single dollar. What makes it worse? This isn't the first time. They've pulled this same stunt before--selling tickets, canceling events, and keeping the money. It's a pattern at this point, not a mistake. This is blatant dishonesty and it's shameful. They're profiting off people's hopes and excitement, only to leave them disappointed and out of pocket. Do not trust this company, and definitely don't give them your money. read more

What a magical experience! Loved everything about it. Many food vendors. Everything we got was so tasty. I will never forget this experience. read more

The Lights Fest - Lanterns - Festivals Near Me - Imperial, California

DONT GO. we were sent to the wrong location today leaving SEVERAL cars of people confused. absolutely NO communication until an hour and a half later at 5:30 pm when gates "opened" at 1... saying that supposedly you're supposed to use a specific gps app to get the correct location. by that time we were fully convinced it was a scam and went back home. 6 HOURS driving for no reason. wasted time, money energy for what. not to mention gates were said to close at 5 so make it make sense why they would send a message out 30 minutes after the fact... read more

Has a lot of potential but honestly it is a scam. Because of the weather, it was rescheduled 4 times and then booked at a different location which was way too far to go to. I asked for a refund and they would not respond. WASTE OF MONEY. read more

We waited in traffic 90 minutes in and 90 minutes out. At times the dust was so thick you could not see the road or the car ahead of you. It was hard to tell if we were even on a road. It was also very stressful because a lot of cars were racing up the shoulder or speeding along the wrong side of the road in an effort to cut the line. There were several close calls and at least two accidents. Maybe some police or security on the road? Some people had gotten out of cars to walk and almost died as a truck raced up the shoulder. We finally get in and then have to stop and pay to park?! If there's literally five miles of stand still traffic lasting a solid 90 minutes why would you not speed things along by including parking in the ticket price? Also why not shut down the road to thru traffic (literally three cars in 90 minutes) thus creating two lanes in and out. There were kids on dirt bikes weaving in and out of the cars with dim lights and it was pitch black, made worse by the dust, this made the drive even more stressful. Plus the atvs racing up and down the road kicking up more dust and chaos. We finally got inside and stopped to get our lanterns. There was no line but we were sent somewhere else to get the extra lantern we had purchased, which was a pain. Why not let everyone get the extras at the same spot? The singers seemed to be tasked with lantern management and led the crowd in booing and haranguing those who sent their lanterns off ahead of schedule. The early birds were definitely very irritating but the booing and jeering seemed really inappropriate. Also it was never clear what time the lanterns would be launched so the crowd got very restless. I thought we'd missed something but the strangers around me said no time had been announced for launch. If you want people to be patient let them know what time the lighting is happening. So many people were frustrated and were launching early that the announcer just gave up and directed us all to light up which sucked because half our group was getting food so they missed the opportunity to launch with the group and then they struggled to find us as everyone was now standing up and moving around. Furthermore, the announcer did not give any instructions on how to launch the lanterns which led to a lot of flames floating right over people's heads causing shouting and jumping out of the way. Also the lanterns dripped something onto people as they went up. As the evening went on maybe 20 lanterns just erupted into flames and plummeted back down causing more shouting and jumping out of the way. It was still beautiful but the whole experience was dampened by all these issues. Would I spend the money and drive the distance again? Doubtful. read more

Just save your money, a lot of these reviews talk about it being canceled due to weather, the horrible traffic, or how they suck at refunding you even if you got the warranty for it. You want to know the actual experience?? Yeah the traffic was bad already on the way in, now imagine 10,000 people all trying to leave at once on ONE ROAD. Absolutely not, we left early, didn't even wait for the lanterns. And not because of the traffic but because they open that dang venue at 2pm and then make you SIT through HOURS of shitty live music until they then give the go on the lanterns. Literally the lanterns didn't get released until 9pm!! If you wanna go for the music, go for it. But if you're just going for the lanterns, just know it won't happen until their crappy live performances are OVER!! If you do still plan on going I recommend going late and not when the venue opens cause they don't release the lanterns right when the sun goes down (like how we thought) AND take chairs cause a blanket isn't gonna cut it, your back will HATE you. And just be advised, your nose will be full of soot by the end of the night. Also if you do plan on going late to avoid the live music, count on not finding any room to sit down near any torches. Just take your own lighter cause they were selling them for $10. read more

SCAMMERS! Beware!! No Refunds!! They purposely don't post a phone number. Their only contact point is their info@ email which they don't seem to check. I purchased tickets valued over $100 and was unable to make the event. I contacted the info@ email 5+ X, no response. YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR MONEY BACK. read more

this was supposed to be an anniversary gift which turned out to be a horrible experience in which we got scammed out of expensive tickets. they took our money upfront (august 2024) and then the festival got postponed multiple times and then finally got scheduled for easter weekend (2025) with last minute notice on top of that. we tried to request a different date and they denied our request and then we asked for a refund which was also denied. easter is a religous holiday which we practice.... this is disrespectful and disgusting behaviour for a business. read more

Ordered two tickets for a show in Texas, paid for refund protection just in case, couldn't make the event, been trying to get my money back for over a year. Don't recommend. Should have listened to the other bad recs. Don't do it! read more

I'll start by saying that the actual aspects of the event that mattered - music, lantern lighting, food, bathrooms - were great. If you got to the venue when doors opened, you had a good chance to get a decent spot for you and your party. However, I'm docking two stars for the post-event alone. Exiting the parking area was a straight nightmare and it took us over an hour to leave the dirt area, not including getting on the dirt road back onto the 8 to San Diego. Not only were there no ushers in the parking lot except for one guy, there was minimal signage indicating exit lates and inaccessible areas for non-off road capable vehicles. There were at least 4 cars that I saw stuck. Sure, this is also due to driver negligence, but Lights Fest needs to have responsibility to ensure the safety of people leaving. It took us over an hour to leave. We still had 2 hours on the road ahead of us. Terrible experience leaving the venue. Again, good, even great event when it came to entertainment. But I'm not sure I'll go again due to the experience afterward alone. read more

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Im sorry. I dont attend festival but this one is bad.. The thing is, i loved the lighting the lantern part but the organizing of the people and cars and traffic is bad.. They should plan where the entrance is and they should put an exit part.. People were everywhere in parking hitting my car while im trying to get out and thentraffic in parking is surreal. I prefer driving in the traffic of LA than being here. It took more than an hour just to move a little. I hope they should organize and plan this as well properly. read more

The beginning of the festival started off good, but we were informed that the cut off for people entering would be 5pm and that the lanterns would go up shortly after. My fiance and I stayed until 7:30 listening through awful music and the MC kept dragging it out. It seemed like he was stalling big time. And they kept booing people who needed to put their lantern up earlier. Finally he said just an hour and a half more until the lanterns go up. My fiance and I were so fet up of being stuck there having to listen to the music that we set one of ours off early and left. Everyone booed us and it was terrible. Honestly, it was such false advertising. I was so disappointed. And getting out was a pain. It was pitch black and there were bo lights for directions to help us get out. We were driving around so many times. When I got home I looked in the mirror and my nose was all black from the smoke at the venue and I had a terrible headache. Would definitely not recommend! read more

This event is looking more and more to be a scam. I bought refundable tickets and emailed asking for a refund after it got postponed for a second time. I received a response that they are "looking into it" but never got back to me. I emailed them probably close to 10 times and still have not had a response with a refund. I ended up having to dispute the charge with my bank. I had tickets for the Sept 2024 event & I'm STILL getting emails that they keep postponing the event. Was supposed to be today 4/5/25 & they just emailed saying it's postponed again until July. Yikes! read more

they should have refunded the tickets. it was pouring rain. no food was good. They one chicken place was on crack. Selling food that was 22 dollars and it tasted gross. Like cardboard. Parking was a joke, 30 bucks to park after you spend 100+ dollars on tickets. Staff were rude. No live music. Bring a tent and chairs. No where to sit. No garbage cans, they give you a trash bag to carry your trash around. We ended up leaving because it was just pouring rain and we knew the later a weren't going to fly. This is obviously a 0 star review. Just wanted people who dont pay to see it before they waste their money. read more

Absolutely do not purchase. Colorado Light Fest has been canceled numerous times. I bought tickets and the protection to ensure I get a refund back if needed. They canceled the initial festival back in October 2024 and have canceled all additional ones since then. I requested a refund back in October 2024 when they canceled and have yet to get my money back or even a response other than an automated one. I have emailed many many times. There is no number to call and talk to a live person. read more

WARNING...do not gamble and waste your money buying tickets and then be scammed!! Go read all of their complaints on social media! Go see their F rating at the BBB!! They scammed hundreds of people for a Sacramento show that they posted all over social media and their website KNOWING that they did NOT apply for a permit and knew that they can NOT have any sky lantern festivals in California anymore because it is illegal! They continued to sell tickets then stopped selling and NEVER told anyone that the event is cancelled! They will NOT refund anyone money either with NO explanation! The Sac Fire Marshall and City of Sac had to send them 2 letters telling them they are NOT allowed to hold the event. You think that because of that, they would offer refunds, but nope. Hundreds of us lost our money. I will be doing an interview with a local TV station because they heard about the scam and they want more info to investigate and possibly take it further and I am possibly looking at legal action. You are now WARNED to not buy tickets. This scam isn't just occuring in Sacramento but will occur for the Fresno, SoCal event and even others outside of California!! See my pictures for further proof of their scam in Sacramento! You can be email complaints to contact Collin Maki maki@viiveproductions.com maki@thelightsfest.com (435)760-5648 read more

The Lights Fest - Festivals Near Me - Imperial, California

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Awful experience! The event was postponed the day of the event. They rescheduled it to a day my partner and I will be out of town. They refuse to send me a refund or even answer my countless emails. Terrible customer service! read more

The Lights Fest has yet to refund my son for a fest they cancelled last year. He bought refundable tickets and they kept telling him the refund was in process. We even disputed it with our credit card company and The Lights responded that "all services were given" so now we have to provide even more documentation to get our refund from the credit card company. It's ridiculous! So watch out, if they cancel the event, don't expect to get your money back. read more

My review mainly goes to bring attention from our perspective, a customer, to the coordinators of this event. The traffic coordination getting in.... Well, the gps stopped 15 miles before the venue/parking was. So this totally messed up our schedule of timing to arrive. We sat in traffic on that one road (Wheeler) for an hour and 20 minutes. It was a dirt road, so the drive out was tough cuz its pitch dark and there were also ATV's speeding up and down the road shooting dirt and making dust clouds. Do better, give exact location or at least specify to arrive early due to location address not being accurate. This ruined our timing of arrival since we had to drive another 15 miles that wasn't accounted for when leaving San Diego. Sadly we did not have time to picnic before the show. Next up: Small small lanterns. And we only get one??? I've been to a better lantern festival in Nevada, they gave much larger lanterns (used two hands) for an event like this. These small lanterns lasted a couple minutes in the sky. Check out this photo where you can see all the grey dead lanterns falling. The pictures didn't come out very good at all being they were so small and dying quickly. This other lantern event was magical! The other festival had groups of people in a surrounding the stage (the center) all around so when the lanterns went off, there was more waves and layers of the lanterns when watching the sky. That one was magical. Also, excellent job with the drones. Literally watched one of the drones shred one of the lanterns and shoot it straight to the ground. Sucks for whoever let that one off. Colbie Calliat was a very nice, thanks for that! She gave a nice vibe. I was hoping to have her sing in the background during the lantern lift off to make the videos memorable with her being there live with her cute music, but that did not happen. Her set ended and then it was time to let the lanterns off. Also, whoever was behind the mic speaking and making announcements came off a bit... rude. Saying everyone can "point and call out" anyone who sets their lantern off early.. Another guy was like 'chill, its a family event', but the other dude was too repetitive and off-putting with how he was making the announcement to hold tight until "its time". Lastly, sucks that this company did not respond to any emails, instagram messages or comments or facebook messages. Poor customer service, well, non-existent customer service. So sucks that we had to go in blindly without any of our questions answers or even a schedule of events posted like any other festivals do There HAS to be someone behind the screen, posting and emailing from the company that can respond to inquiries which are damn important to us to be acknowledged. Please, just do better with all this feedback you are given. You literally can just do better next time because your paying customers are giving you feedback on how... well, to do better. read more

The Lights Fest - Festivals Near Me - Imperial, California

This shit don't even deserve a 1 star rating. We get to the venue and there's a crappy handwritten sign that says "postponed." We spent time and money so we can make it to this event yet we got screwed over. They didn't even email us that the event is going to be postponed. At least have the decency to email that it's been postponed! read more

Pricing is deceptive. They had a "half price" sale at $35 apiece. I ordered tickets for my family. But when I checked out, they added about $125 to the total for a service fee, an administrative fee, and a processing fee. Since everything about the purchase was electronicly auromated, I doubt they actually incurred $125. It was just a deceptive way to charge more for tickets falsely advertised at $35. read more

Absolutely amazing experience!! Excellent for family bonding. Food & drinks available for purchase. Help clean at the end and get a free shirt. If you GPS the drive, my advice is to add another hour for driving "the road to the parking lot" to get there at whatever the time your party decides on. It's best to go earlier so you can get a seat inside near the stage area. Parking is plentiful but the wait for this particular venue was long. Not sure what other venues are like but I'm guessing it's similar as this is literally in the middle of nowhere. There's one long ass road going in and one long Ass road going out. The pavement stops a quarter of the way in and you're hittin' the dirt after that. There's a small bit of a walk (mostly flat) from the lot to the picnic and launch area (one in the same). We brought our own cooler and chairs FTW. If you have a red flyer wagon with all terrain wheels you would be a hero. Go do this!! It is a lifetime experience you do not want to miss! read more

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A shit show for lack of a better word. We bought tickets last year for March 2021. It was then postponed to November 6, 2021. Then postponed again for November 13, 2021. The package doesn't say anything about the actual address besides Superstition Mountain 3400 Wheeler Road. So we drove to that address. Once you get there, Wheeler Road actually ends and it becomes unpaved road. There is zero information about where the event actually is at except for some flags saying "Lights Fest." These flags are difficult to see because they are black and it is dark. Additionally, some fell down, some are small, and they're very far apart. Once the road ended, we kept driving for several miles with no clue where the event was located. No where in the ticket package did it state we would be driving several miles in unpaved road in the middle of nowhere. We drove and drove. The check in began at 2pm and closed at 5pm. Closing the gates and stating the lanterns would be launched at 6pm is obscene considering the unpaved roads, the confusion about where the event is, and the long lines to get in since there is only one point of entry and a tight road leading there. We got to 3400 Wheeler Rd at 4:30 and by 5:30 we were still in line, in the middle of the desert, in the dark, with no clue when we would get to the event. Several cars turned around and so did we. It honestly was not worth it. I think there needs to be better planning. At this point I believe I won't get a refund which I'm fine with. Additionally, there is a $25 parking fee. Which personally we thought was stupid considering people paid tickets and the event is in the middle of the desert with plenty of space? No need to charge $25. Point being; it's not worth it. read more

Great day with family! Lots of food options. Great music. But the Lantern lighting is the best. Beautiful, heart warming!! read more

The Lights Fest - The light fest! - Festivals Near Me - Imperial, California

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Ah geez.. Where do I start.. The end experience was nothing short of amazing. Being part of sharing time with hundreds of strangers that have all traveled for the same experience was invaluable. Imagine being in the middle of the desert, at night and being embraced by hundreds of magnificent lanterns. For that moment it's almost like time stands still. Absolutely breath-taking. Would I do it again? No. Some info and tips to a more tolerable and enjoyable experience: Gates open at 12 pm, and close at 5 pm Lanterns are released by 8 pm. Overall the festival's planning was done well. It's important to know that each entrance you pay is not for the actual entrance but for the lantern. When you walk to the booths, they don't check the entrance tickets, rather how many lanterns you paid for. So if you're going with your significant other, pay for one admission/lantern. Otherwise you'll end up with 2 whicj is fine but there's plenty of space on one lantern to write/draw. Pack light. I recommend 2 chairs, a backpack with something to drink, a blanket, hand sanitizer, a headlamp and maybe a roll of toilet paper or some paper towels. Was kinda painful to watch people drag heavy coolers and tents to and from the event when it was over through sand. Plus there's a good variety of food trucks to choose from. Try to sit next to a tiki torch as that's where the lift off happens and everyone will be flocking to the nearest one. Stay close and together 15 min til lift off. Once 8 pm comes around, everyone is rushing to the nearest tiki torch and when you look back at your campsite, it'll be really difficult to find it when everyone is standing. The headlamp came in handy going to the port-a-potty. There's no place to rest your flashlights and the hand washing station ran out of toilet paper and water fairly quickly. All in all a great experience. I would also recommend checking your tires and driving a utility vehicle or truck as the pavement was rough! Saw a lot of cars that were lowered or even cars like Priuses to the side or turning around to go back. Enjoy! read more

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I have given them a chance, and I think it is time to write a review. What can I say? This company is very unethical, and should not be allowed to continue to advertise and operate. I have been in contact with them for over a year now, and still have not received my refund from them. They continue to "organize" these events especially during these times when it is not allowed with promises that they will be honoring tickets. They get money people who still buys the tickets but do not have the courtesy to give refunds. I hope people come to realize how bad this company is. Just look at the reviews of other people. read more

The Lights Fest is an awesome visual that you'll definitely remember. Unfortunately you'll also remember how unorganized the entire event is. Or at least I will. Tickets were purchased by a friend who was informed via email that the event had been cancelled the day before due to weather conditions. When trying to call the contact number given, the number was disconnected. Their social media pages were booming with angry customers due to not being to reach anyone and the lack of communication after receiving the emails. Then the day of the event arrives, another email is received stating the event is back on. Mind you these sent sent out in the afternoon rather than the morning. I'm not sure if they realize the chaotic traffic produced in Los Angeles on a Friday after 12pm. but the emails should have gone out in the early A.M. There's planning that needs to be done when making a drive past San Diego from Los Angeles. Everyone began trying to reach them on their social media pages to see if the event was back on and got no response. Finally a staff member confirmed it was a go. We didn't want tickets to go to waste so decided to go then circle back to San Diego to make a night of it. After a long drive, we arrived to an open field which takes you on another lengthy drive to the parking area. Hopefully you're driving a truck or didn't get a car wash because the road is extremely rocky with lots of dirt. From parking you go to the check-in counter, then to whichever part of the field you'd like to hangout in until the lights ceremony begins. There's a small stage with performances you can watch to help kill time, a food truck area and more importantly, a beer area haha. Beer can only kill so much time before you're just ready to light up your lantern and take off all together. Everything was behind schedule due to the decision to do the fest after cancelling and the heavy wind conditions. Once they felt the winds were calm enough, they told everyone to light up the lanterns but even that came at a moments notice. First they said they were going to demonstrate lighting the lantern then the next thing we knew...LIGHT THEM UP! GO! GO! GO! To hell with the demonstration they decided I guess LOL. As mentioned early, visually it is a sight to see. The best part about this fest wasn't the visual but more so the dodging of the lanterns. Due to the winds, the lanterns were flying right at people including myself. This is where dodging skills come into play. It was beautiful and dangerous all at the same time. Maybe it's just my crazy since of humor but it was hilariously fun. A rescheduling and proper communication with customers could have resolved this entire ordeal. Given all the complaints online, I hope it's something they'd consider for future customers. As for myself, this was my first and last unless the event takes place close to me and I do mean close. The drive just wasn't worth it for what we got. The Lights Fest 3/23/2018 read more

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It's not the greatest thing in the world but it is definitely a very unique moment. The family got to tap into its inner "Tangled" and were very happy with our experience at the Lights Fest. Set in the desert of Imperial a half hour away from El Centro (good lodging at the Fairfield Inn Mariott), this was a rather chill relaxing event. You pretty much just hang out listen to live music and wait for lantern lift off. The launch itself ends up being quick but the memory is everlasting. Hints: 1. Buy the insurance with your tickets. Weather postponed our launch by one day. Otherwise if you can't make the new date you're out of money. 2. It's the desert. Wear comfortable clothes you don't mind getting dirty. 3. Bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks. 4. There are food trucks and Stone Brewing was there as well but you'll pay a hefty price. Spent $9 on a fruit smoothie. 5. Bring activities to do while you wait. Balls, games, even drones. 6. Bring sanitizer, baby wipes, and even a roll of toilet paper. Too many people. Some of the portable toilets and sinks were out of necessities. 7. Don't get too caught up in the launching part itself. I got a bit focused on making sure I didn't catch fire and getting all four of lanterns inflated that I really didn't look up a lot. It's okay though. My kids were amazed and that's good enough for me especially when they give you a big hug afterwards. It is definitely breathtaking to see over a thousand lanterns floating gracefully in the desert sky. The family agreed we'd do it again. read more

Alright, so I'm still irked about last minute cancellation and the loss of my hotel charge from our first tickets, but they rescheduled me to another date and we were able to go this past weekend, so that somewhat makes up for it. It was initially rescheduled for another Saturday, but this time they canceled it due to high winds DAYS ahead of time. I wish they had done this on the date we were scheduled. Finally it was moved to this past weekend, and I got another hotel, and everything worked out fine. I'm not sure if it's always as packed or if it was due to two cancelled events and accommodating ticket holders, but there were so many people. We ended up getting there towards the end of the check-in window, and we sat pretty far from the tiki torches because they didn't extend far enough outward. A handful of people decided to let their lanterns fly early, before the fire marshall gave the final "okay," but most were able to restrain themselves until the main event. Throughout the launch there were individuals who couldn't figure out what to do and kept setting their lanterns on fire. Some plummeted from the sky in flames, almost hitting people. That gave me a little anxiety. Overall, it was a beautiful launch and event. It's memorable and gorgeous, and something I think everyone should do. The entertainment pre-launch wasn't much to remember, and all of the "sinks" at the port-o-potties ran out of water before sunset, but it was still worth it all. read more