By james art 
The Lantern Festival, an outdoor festival known for displaying over 100 colorful hanging lanterns, will be celebrated this Saturday, November 9, from 6-10pm ET at the Crooked River Lighthouse near Carabell.
Lighting up the night at the 1895 maritime landmark will be music by talented Irish musicians Killaville; a glow-in-the-dark performance by the Tallahassee State College Dancers; and traditional Chinese music by Master Zheng performer Dr. Haiqiong Deng and members of the Florida State University Chinese Music Ensemble.
Festival goers can also enjoy evening tower climbs, ancient craft demonstrations, museum exhibits and food and desserts.
Killavil, part of the traditional Irish music scene in the US and abroad, consists of a trio of talented siblings – Michael, Rachel and Dan Stribling – who bring the spirit of traditional Irish music to life with their energetic and dance-worthy tunes. Michael enchants on yule pipes, tin whistle and flute; Rachel captivates on the violin; and Dan completes the group with his mastery of Irish bouzouki, bodran and piano.
Tallahassee State College Dancers have nurtured and inspired creative dancers through their outreach program for over 20 years. Haiqiong will return to play alongside the dancers, demonstrating his mastery of the 21-stringed Chinese gu-zheng (zheng).
Dr. Yin Yang, Safan You and Yueyue Zhu will join Haiqiong for a special performance by the FSU Chinese Music Ensemble, one of the oldest in the states. The ensemble provides a platform for FSU students and community members to perform traditional and folk music from various regions in China. Over the past two decades, the ensemble has performed at festivals, museums and concert halls throughout Florida and has contributed to the enrichment of Florida culture. Instruments include the zhen, along with a two-stringed Chinese violin called an erhu, the Chinese transverse flute called a dizi, and a Chinese forged dulcimer.
Many of the hanging lanterns on display in the Lighthouse Park are works of art handcrafted by Joan Mattei and talented local artists. Demonstrators of ancient crafts will share their talents, food will be available for purchase from vendors, and Beacon Bistro will be selling desserts and coffee.
Bring a chair and enjoy this birthday as the lighthouse turns 129 years old. Advance tickets are recommended. Cost is $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets and details are available at CrookedRiverLighthouse.com/Lantern-Fest or in the lighthouse gift shop. For more information, contact (850) 697-2732 or [email protected].