Annual Northern Lights Lantern Festival

The Annual Northern Lights Lantern Festival is a beloved free community celebration that lights up Halifax's North End each August. Held at Merv Sullivan Park — known to locals as "The Pit" — the festival brings neighbours and families together for an evening of free activities, live music, and a magical parade of lanterns that glows through the park as the sun goes down.

The festival packs the park with things to do: bouncy castles, face painting, carnival games, and lantern-making stations where kids and adults craft 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.