By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY
Senior Writer
The fifth annual Water Lantern Festival, held on the north shore beachfront of Lake Gregory, will likely be remembered as a testimonial to peace and love, akin to the 1970s love-in generation. According to organizers, the two-day event – on May 16 and 17 – lured over 2,000 peace-loving souls from throughout Southern California, many of whom were return visitors, anxious to meet and greet both new and old friends.
After logging in at the check-in station, which opened to the public at 4 p.m., many of the participants chose to visit one or more of the 14 vendor booths, offering a wide assortment of freshly made snacks and meals ranging from Mexican fare to cotton candy and artisan wood-fired pizza, as well as toys, clothing and jewelry. All the while, familiar, soft-rock ballads offering messages of peace, love and hope played over loudspeakers throughout the festival grounds, while registered participants were offered an opportunity to share, over the PA system, their own personal messages of peace, love, happiness and sorrow.
Brandy stepped up to the microphone to share the memory of her two sons who had perished in January. “I know how painful it can be. Love is eternal, and it never dies.” Also sharing their sorrow was Julia Hertz, who had come to the event with her family to remember her 2-year-old son who had recently passed away. The next speaker to share their sorrow was 6-year-old Alessandra Florez from Crestline.
Prior to the 8 p.m. launching of the water lanterns on Friday, a period of meditation ensued with a voice announcing, “Please lie down, breathe in, breathe out. Take a deep breath, take a moment to remember the ones you love and remember the good times you’ve had with them. Feel the positive energy inside of you. You are beautiful, inspiring and amazing, you are loved.”
Various participants began launching their small, lighted lanterns as the sun began to set and the sky began to darken. Watching the lanterns quietly cross Lake Gregory’s still water as the lights reflected upon the lake and its forested area brought a hush and oohs and aahs to the crowd surrounding the lake.
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