Annual Northern Lights Lantern Festival

Update, August 2026: the 2026 Northern Lights Lantern Festival, scheduled for Saturday, August 8 at Merv Sullivan Park, has been cancelled. The volunteer-run Northern Lights Lantern Festival Society called off this year's event because of the forecasted rain and thunderstorms for Saturday — a difficult decision made to mitigate financial losses and protect the festival's long-term future. The festival is planned to return in August 2027. The Society's 50/50 fundraiser still went ahead, with winner Kaitlynn Bastien taking $672.50 of the $1,345 jackpot.

The festival typically packs the park with things to do: bouncy castles, face painting, carnival games, and lantern-making stations where kids and adults crafted their own glowing creations to carry in the parade. A free community BBQ serves up hotdogs alongside halal and veggie options, while food trucks round out the offerings. Live music plays from the main stage throughout the evening, building to the Parade of Lanterns at dusk and a fireworks finale at 9:15 PM.

Run entirely by the volunteer-driven Northern Lights Lantern Festival Society, the event is a neighbourhood festival in its truest sense — admission, the BBQ, and every activity are completely free. The Pit's unique setting, tucked at the end of Novalea Drive with its baseball diamond, sports field, and tobogganing hill, gives the festival an intimate, good-neighbours atmosphere that has made it a cherished North End Halifax summer tradition for more than two decades.

Make the most of your time in Halifax Metro - pair Annual Northern Lights Lantern Festival with our Halifax Dining Guide, Family Travel Guide, and Best Day Trips from Halifax. They're each packed with itinerary ideas, local tips, and everything you need to extend your stay.