Global glow: Northwest Winterfest shares a multicultural exchange through Chinese lantern art
The soft glow of handcrafted Chinese lanterns beckoned guests inside the Ag Building at the Spokane County Fairgrounds on Sunday night for the sixth Northwest Winterfest, a multicultural celebration of arts and culture that runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Jan. 1.
The intricately handmade Chinese lanterns of various shapes and sizes –pandas, Christmas trees, marmots, dragons, flowers – line up along a winding pathway that takes guests through a “Panda Forest,” an “Adventure Land” and ultimately to “the Dragon’s Lair.”
As families meander through a self-guided tour of the lanterns, the event director and chief organizer Sam Song enthusiastically greets them.
His nonprofit seeks to educate people, especially young children, about the world cultures through the medium of Chinese lantern-making. The event is closely related to the annual Chinese Lantern Festival, which dates back 2,000 years.
“Even though we live far away, we want to maintain those traditions,” said Song, a former educator who moved to Spokane from eastern China in 2004. “I’m an American citizen. Even though this is my home now, I want my friends in the U.S. to experience what I have experienced – a part of me.”
Song said that the Chinese government often gets a bad rap in the media in the U.S., but that should not reflect upon the Chinese people.
“All governments do a bad job of representing the people of their countries,” he said. “I hope things like (Northwest Winterfest) will soften the damage done by the Chinese government. I can safely say that in the U.S.”
The more than 900 lanterns decorating the festival are welded steel frames wrapped in silk cloth and then handpainted by artisans from Zigong, a city in southwest China that Song said is known for its lantern artists.
Song said he was skeptical if the event would really take off in Spokane during its first year in 2015, but there was an exceptional turnout.
“The result was we had 80,000 people show up. It made me realize Spokane people can enjoy things like this,” he said. “Our community needs quality events like this.”
The event, which was originally outdoors, was plagued with bad weather in 2021. Attendance hasn’t been as high since 2015, but Song is inspired by the new indoor venue to increase attendance in the coming years.
He would likely make more money by bringing his event to Seattle, but he is invested in Spokane, he said. The hope is to attract even more visitors from Montana and Boise.
“This is my hometown,” said Song, “It’s something we want to invest in the community. I know how impactful it is for kids to get this kind of cultural experience without going to Seattle.”
Ticket prices range from $12-$17 for youth and adults. Children under 10 are admitted for free.