The biggest community event in South Bristol returns for the first time in two years this Saturday (Feb 12) with thousands expected to attend.
The annual Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade will travel along the roads of Ashton Gate, Southville and Bedminster, with streets closed to motorised traffic for around three hours or more, ending with a party in the park.
The annual display, which sees stunning giant paper lanterns processing through the dark streets of BS3, was last held at the start of 2020, but didn't take place in the winter of 2020-21 because of the Covid pandemic.
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This year it's back - a month later than originally planned - but it will be the first time the Year 3 pupils in nine different primary schools in the area get to take part in what has become something of a rite of passage for all the children of Bedminster, Southville and Ashton Gate over the past ten years.
So here is a quick guide to everything you need to know about the Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade:
Road closures
The first roads will begin to be closed at 4pm on Saturday, as crowds begin to gather. The main road which will be closed is North Street, from Aldi all the way to the end at the junction with Dean Lane at the Steam Crane pub. Two other roads will be closed - Cannon Street, which connects the end of East Street with the end of North Street, and British Road, as the parade turns right up the hill and into The Chessels.
The road closures will have an added impact this year, because of the closure of Malago Road, northbound. This means that there will be no way through Bedminster to Bedminster Bridge at all from 4pm to around 7pm. Alternative routes will be marked, but they will basically be along Winterstoke Road and Coronation Road, or along St John's Lane around Victoria Park and towards Temple Meads via Totterdown.
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What time is the event?
The roads will begin to be closed at 4pm.
From 5pm street entertainment will begin at a number of spots along the parade route.
The parade itself will begin at 6pm. It will last aprximately an hour and a half, but this is subject to change depending on the size of the parade each year.
How to get there?
The best way will be by bus, with this part of BS3 well connected to routes from the city centre and the north of Bristol.
From the south, get the 75 or 76 bus to West Street in Bedminster or to the Wilko bus stop in East Street.
From the city centre, get the 75 or 76 bus to the first West Street stop, and the parade route is just across the road towards East Street.
The 24 bus also runs from Southmead Hospital, through Bristol and down North Street, but will be diverted by the parade.
If you are driving, there is free parking in the residential roads south of North Street in Bedminster - but you'll be lucky to get a space. Everything north of North Street is in the RPZ. There are car parks behind the McDonalds on Sheene Road, or access the Aldi car park on North Street, via Raleigh Road.
Who is taking part?
As well as community groups and individuals, the backbone of the Lantern Parade are the nine schools who take part. Each year, the Year 3s at the local primary schools spend months making their lanterns from the start of the autumn term.
As well as individual lanterns, they also make one or two huge and elaborate lanterns that look stunning in the darkness as they weave their way through BS3.
The schools taking part this year are: Victoria Park Primary, Luckwell Primary, Southville Primary, Compass Point Primary, Holy Cross Primary, Parson Street Primary, Ashton Gate Primary, Ashton Vale Primary and Oasis Academy on Marksbury Road.
The parade will involve hundreds of young people, parents, volunteers and teachers, as well as other community groups getting involved too. There will also be street bands accompanying the parade too.
What is the route?
The Lantern Parade itself is scheduled to begin at 6pm and starts where the schools gather in St Francis Road, just opposite Aldi on North Street in Ashton Gate. The route then heads east along North Street, past the Tobacco Factory, all the way to the end of North Street. Then it turns right along Cannon Street to the end of East Street, before turning right again up British Road. The parade ends in South Street Park, next to Compass Point Primary School.
Street entertainment
This will begin at 5pm, and continue until the parade arrives. There will be seven little stages set up along the parade route. These will be near the Tobacco Factory, near the Hen & Chicken pub, near the Spotted Cow pub, near the Old Bookshop pub, on the corner of North Street and Cannon Street, at the end of East Street as the procession route turns up British Road, and finally near the Methodist Church on British Road.
What's the weather forecast?
Fingers crossed. The latest Met Office forecast, as of Friday morning, is for heavy rain all afternoon on Saturday in Bristol. There's a 90% chance of rain from 2pm to 5pm, but there is possible good news. At 5pm that chance of rain drops to 50% so it could well be that the worst of the weather has passed by when the parade begins.
There are tentative plans for a firework display in South Street Park at the end of the parade - if the weather is good enough.
Find out more about the Bedminster Winter Lantern Parade here.
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