Normally when your hopes and dreams fly away, it’s a cause for concern.
But not at the RiSE Festival, a just-launched lantern festival set to take place within the barren sands of the Mojave Desert on October 18th.
Lantern festivals are an Eastern thing. Folks write their hopes and dreams on the outside of a balloon-shaped lantern.
Then: they light a little fire under it and the heat sends the lantern soaring.
RiSE hopes to demonstrate that with a little planning and some coordination, beautiful things can happen. Like how we could, you know, stop climate change.
The fuel cell only burns for seven minutes, and the coil cools to 150 degrees by the time it lands (not hot enough to ignite a blaze).
They know the top wind speeds and maximum distances these lamps can travel, and 500 volunteers will be on hand to keep the earth from being littered with papery remains and fuel cells.
Shuttles will ferry you in from either the Gold Strike or Rio in Vegas, and they’ll take you back once it’s over.
You can reserve food, and there will be concessions and booze on-site.
Liquor and fire: a safe combo, for one night at least.
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