My sweetheart surprised me with a gift of a ticket to the Rise Festival in the Mojave desert near Las Vegas. I’ve seen videos of this event where paper lanterns are lit and fly up in an amazing display but have been curious about what it is like in person. We had driven to Las Vegas the previous day and enjoyed a short trip to Freemont Street.
As the afternoon approached we took a 25-mile drive south of the city into the desert near 7 magic mountains. They had us head out on a dry lake bed where a circular festival ground had been set up around a stage.
We walked around visiting the local food trucks and then found a spot in the circle. Listening to the indie/alternative bands play, we watched the sun start to set. At 7pm the first launch would occur!
It got a little bit colder and the wind started to pick up, however, the first launch was a success. It was a bit of an ordeal in patience as you had to light the lantern which took a few minutes, then hold it close to the ground to let the warm air build up which took about five more minutes. Then, if the wind didn’t blow out the heat, it would float peacefully away. In some cases, people got impatient and ended up chasing a burning lantern across the desert floor.
Looking back on it I really enjoyed the experience. Here is a video I made of the experience:
