Stony Stratford Lantern Project

PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE BOOKING AND NOTE THE CHANGE OF VENUE FOR THE LANTERN PROCESSION:

Cost is £6.00 plus booking fee per lantern (not per person) and this year’s theme is ‘Christmas in the Big Top’. We’re excited to see your circus-related creations for a colourful procession!

Lantern making options for 2026 are (please choose the correct ticket type as they are non-transferable):

1) Attend Frame-Making Workshop/s at York House and then paper your lantern/s at home.
2) Buy a Lantern Kit and make your lantern/s completely at home.
3) Make your lantern frame/s at a special school session for Russell Street School and SMSG North (Thursday 05 November at York House Centre), complete your frame/s at the York House Frame-Making Workshops and then paper at home. Book via the special ticket link on a letter which your child will receive in their book bag.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY: due to temporary building work at York House Centre, we regret that the workshops are not accessible for wheelchair users this year.

PLEASE NOTE: we no longer use candles to light any of the lanterns. You can use your own battery fairy lights (we will have some for sale at the workshops and kit collection sessions - cash only) or you can use a torch.

IMPORTANT CHANGE FOR SWITCH-ON DAY (Saturday 21 November): due to potential building work we are unable to start the Lantern Procession from York House this year. Lantern-Makers are invited to join together for the annual Lantern Procession meeting on HORSEFAIR GREEN from 3.45pm. The procession will move off at 4.45pm through the streets of Stony Stratford to the Market Square, ready for the switching-on of the Christmas Lights at the slightly later time of 5.30pm. There will be access to toilets in Stony Stratford Community Church and please supervise your children at all times as there may be traffic on the roads around the green.

York House Frame-Making Workshops – this allows your family to attend any of the York House frame-making sessions which are drop-in from 10am til 4pm on Sat 07 & Sun 08 Nov and Sat 14 & Sun 15 Nov. Volunteers will be on hand to help and advise you with your lantern design. Once you have completed your frame you will be given white tissue, glue, a sponge and instructions along with your choice of coloured tissue paper to take home and paper your lantern. Bamboo canes will be provided at Horsefair Green on Switch-on Day to carry your lantern.

Make-at Home Lantern Kits – for those who prefer to make their lantern/s fully at home, our Lantern Kits include full instructions and materials to make a basic lantern plus a bamboo cane and fixings so that you can bring your lantern along to the Lantern Procession at Horsefair Green on Saturday 21 November. Don’t forget you will need to add battery-powered fairy lights or a torch as candles are not allowed for safety reasons. You will need to collect your lantern kit/s at one of our designated collection sessions at York House: 4pm til 5pm on Sunday 25 October (main hall), 6pm til 7pm on Wednesday 28 October (front car park) and 2pm til 4pm on Sunday 01 November (front car park). If you want to make a larger/more complicated lantern, you can purchase an additional bundle of withies (willow sticks) for a £2 donation. We will also be selling rolls of masking tape for £1 plus a selection of fairy-lights with batteries (cash only).

After-School Frame-Making Workshop - there will be an after school frame-making session for the pupils of children attending Russell Street School and SMSG North and their parents/carers, you will need to take your lantern frame home between sessions. The school session will take place at York House Centre on Thursday 05 November, 3.15pm til 5.15pm. To book the school session, look out for a letter in your child's book bag with a unique link. You will also need to attend a workshop at York House (at no extra cost) to finish off your frame and collect your materials to paper at home. NOTE – school tickets are not for a Make-at-Home Lantern Kit. Bamboo canes will be provided at Horsefair Green on Switch-On Day to carry your lantern.

Friends of Stony Lanterns – we realise that some families are struggling financially and may not be able to afford to take part. If you feel able to, please donate an additional £5.00 by adding the ‘Additional Donation - Friends of Stony Lanterns 2026 ’ ticket type to your basket before you head to the checkout. All donations are very gratefully received and will be used to provide free lantern making spaces to families in need and also help fund future Lantern Projects.

If you have any questions, please email stonylanterns@gmail.com and join our Facebook group Stony Stratford Lantern Project for the latest project news.