Welcome Fall in Warm Community!
Join us for...
Lantern Walk 2023
About the Event
Come welcome the fall with a twilit Lantern Walk along our beautiful coastline, hosted by songleader Noe Venable and family.
Bring your own homemade lantern and join us for a musical, candlelit procession along the Pacifica Coast Trail. We'll open the event with a singing circle to learn the songs, then walk along the trail, carrying lanterns and singing songs to honor the changing of the season.
HOW TO JOIN US:
There is no formal ticketing for this event.
However, we highly recommend signing up for updates so you'll be in the loop for any weather related changes. You'll also get song teaching videos, a lantern making tutorial, and any important logistical last minute info that comes up. (Fingers crossed that the weather stays clear!)
WHEN: Friday, September 15th, 2023. 6:30 - 8 PM. Meet at 6:30 PM at the corner of Beach Boulevard and Clarendon, where Beach Boulevard meets the golf course.
(We realize this is also the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Shanah tovah to all of our Jewish friends!)
There will also be an optional Zoom gathering on Sunday, September 10th at 6PM to review the songs ahead of time. (When you sign up here, you'll get the link to attend.)
COVID SAFETY: This event will be held outdoors, masks optional, all welcome. The trail we'll walk is wide enough that you can position yourself as feels right to you.
Learn the Songs
Here's one of the songs we sing. When you sign up for free updates, you'll get videos for all the songs we sing, so you can learn them ahead of time with your family!
How to Find Us
HOW TO FIND US: We'll meet at the corner of Beach Boulevard and Clarendon, where Beach Boulevard meets the golf course. You'll see a large area to gather, with picnic tables, and sufficient room to socially distance.
From there, we will walk south along the wide trail next to the ocean. If you're running late and trying to find us, just follow the trail southward along the ocean, and you can't miss us!
From Our Family to Yours...
Noe and family share a few favorite things about Lantern Walk, and show you Lanterns you can make at home! (When you sign up for updates, we'll send you links to some tutorials, so you can make your own.)
What We Ask of You
We ask that you approach this event with care and intentionality, helping us hold the three following boundaries that will ensure a beautiful experience for all.
First, please bring your focus to the song teaching circle that opens our gathering. (Don't worry... I know how to make song learning easy and fun for even the most reticent singer!)
That said, if you're really shy to sing in public, so much so that you'd prefer not to, you can absolutely just listen. In that case we ask that you refrain from side conversations so that others can hear well enough to learn the songs.
Second, we also ask that people stay attentive to where they are in physical space in the dark (e.g. no running). Since there will be very young children present along with older ones, we'll need to exercise care to keep this event safe for all.
Finally, we ask that everyone be extremely conscientious about litter. Let's be sure to leave no trace. (The City of Pacifica also requests that we do not bring food for this reason.)
Thank you for communicating these boundaries to your dear ones ahead of time.
It takes a village!
What to Bring
Your own homemade lantern with a candle. (An electric one like this is great, especially for young children.) This DIY project is straightforward and fun. It takes less than an hour, and uses mostly materials you probably already have lying around home. When you sign up for updates here, I'll send you a tutorial for how to do it. (Or just google "DIY tissue paper luminary." )
Dress warm. It may be chilly, especially after dark. Wear layers!
Practice ocean safety. Our walk is along the coast, close to the sea. If you choose go down to the ocean, please be extremely cautious on the beach. Even when the sea appears calm, sneaker waves can take you by surprise. Always keep children close to you and never turn your back to the sea.
What You Will Get Out of this Gathering
Seasonal Awareness
Deepen your awareness of the rhythm of the year with this nourishing, non-denominational seasonal ritual.
Community
Get to know other nature loving bay area families - through walking, talking, and singing together.
Music
Bring magic and merriment to your holiday season with sweet songs your child will love.
Wonder
Enjoy a sight you may never have seen before - the coast side by lantern light!
About the Songleader
Noe Venable is a songleader based in Pacifica, California. Noe facilitates singing as a path of reconnection - to self, to each other, and to the more than human world. Ways to sing with Noe include Noe's Garden Magical Music Class for ages 0 - 7, Forest Voices Choir for ages 7 - 12, and Mothersong Chorus for women and nonbinary folks.
Also a spiritual counselor, Noe supports folks one on one in her private practice as a Depth Hypnosis Practitioner and ordained interfaith minister of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream.
Her greatest teachers are her children. Her son Ember was born in 2012. Her daughter Peregrine was born in 2015.
Would you like to join us?
If so, be sure to sign up for updates so you'll have all the info you need to participate!
We look forward to welcoming fall with you!
