Winter Lantern Festival lights up eyes and hearts with dazzling displays

Queens, New York -- The Winter Lantern Festival has quickly established itself as a beloved holiday tradition in New York City.

The lantern festival is a Chinese tradition that is bringing holiday joy to visitors at the Queens County Farm with the "Illuminate the Farm" display, as well as three other locations in the New York City area. The one in Nassau County, for example, offers a drive-through experience.

The lanterns you will see are handcrafted in China by artisans with decades of experience.

Yuke Liu, the head of operations at the festival, is excited about the show they've put together this year, which took six months from conception to opening day.

The lanterns range from 3 feet up to 20 feet tall and were all made specifically for the events this year, in collaboration with the host sites.

"The lantern festival in China has more than 1,000 years of history. One of our founders decided to bring the lantern festival to New York," and it's been five years since that inaugural event on Staten Island, Liu said.

Watch the video and see the dazzling display in Queens, which has the air of a nightmare amusement park, complete with star-filled tunnels and one with a walk-through crocodile.

This year's festival has also expanded to Washington, D.C. and Mexico City.

"We want to become a tradition for the North American people to enjoy the holiday season," Liu said. "After lockdowns for such a long time, I think it's great that people could come out, gather and enjoy every day, every holiday with their loved ones."