We did Rise lantern festival — it’s worth it.
This moment at RiSE will take your breath away. Standing below thousands of lights drifting upwards into the sky is a scene we’ll never forget.
What is the Rise festival?
You know all those pics online of paper lanterns flying through the sky? That’s RiSE. It’s an American version of the old Chinese tradition and it takes place every October in the Mojave Desert near Las Vegas.
When we attended in 2016 it was still being held on the Moapa Indian Reserve near Valley of Fire state park but it has since transitioned closer to the city at Jean Dry Lakebed (see map).
Thousands of people gather together with one purpose — to release fiery lanterns into the night sky and experience a beautiful, surreal scene.
The first scheduled release at 8:15pm is unbelievable. A jaw-dropping scene unfolds overhead as thousands of lanterns take to the air and the sky transforms before your eyes.
As the night continues, people are allowed to release more lanterns at their leisure while others sit back and enjoy the beautiful scene above for a few more hours.
It’s a shared, often emotional experience as most attendees will write notes on their lanterns — letters to loved ones who’ve passed, goals for the future, or fears they’d like to let go.
Large white letters that spell RiSE are an iconic photo op at the event. The lowercase letter “i” is designed to represent a flame below a lantern traveling upwards. It’s often crowded, but if you’re patient you can get a shot.
Are there other things to do at Rise?
The main reason to attend RiSE goes without saying — it’s the first lantern release. This is that Instagram moment when all those beautiful lights suddenly fill the night sky around you. A sight to behold for sure.
Other than the lantern lighting, there’s not a whole lot else happening. The venue is open from 3–10pm. You can grab a meal at one of the food trucks (earlier the better) or spend some time taking pictures alongside the interactive art installments.
Sleek, simple signage ushers guests into the RiSE festival. Held in the desert, the event takes a minimalistic, eco-friendly approach to its design.
What’s it like attending Rise?
Though large in scale, the feel of the event remains very minimal (which is great). The venue is designed as a giant circle with a round stage at the center where guests enjoy live music.
A ticket buys you 2 lanterns and reserves a spot on the dry lake bed near a tiki-torch which is used to light the lanterns. Everyone gets a branded RiSE beach mat to sit on which doubles as a great take-home souvenir. After the first launch, people mill about pretty freely.
The location (by design) is out in the middle of nowhere but it’s easy to find by car. Just remember to purchase a parking pass beforehand. And expect heavy crowds and long waits on entering and exiting. Another option is to take a shuttle if you’re staying in Las Vegas. Ride-sharing drop-offs are not allowed.
Just dress comfortably because you’ll be walking through dirt and sitting on the ground for a good portion of the event. Being the desert, temperatures will get pretty hot during the day but drop quickly once the sun goes down so keep that in mind.
Guests prepare their lanterns for flight at the RiSE festival with the circular center stage in the background. Each lantern is entirely biodegradable and any debris within 1 mile radius is retrieved by staff after the event.
Is going to Rise worth it?
Overall, we’d highly recommend attending RiSE. It’s an extremely unique event and there’s a simplicity to it that’s really enjoyable. It truly surprised us how meaningful the lantern release was.
Both of us wrote messages to our family members who’d recently passed and shared some promises for our new marriage. Watching those words drift into the night sky brought tears to our eyes of both sadness and joy.
Take a weekend trip to the desert and experience the RiSE festival — go with an open heart and come home with an unforgettable memory.
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About Us
We’re Rob and Lauren — a designer & photographer duo passionate about travel. We hope you find some travel inspiration here and the courage to go book that dream vacation.
With so many beautiful places, we can’t help but feel that somewhere is always waiting to be discovered.
