Community idea
Illustrative concept100 Jellyfish
Schools, PTAs, businesses and families each create an illuminated umbrella jellyfish — then move together as one glowing, drifting bloom down Lincoln Road.
LINCOLN ROAD · MIAMI BEACH · JANUARY 23, 2027
ONE ISLAND.THOUSANDS OF LANTERNS.ONE NIGHT.
The Miami Lantern Parade is coming to Lincoln Road in Miami Beach on Saturday, January 23, 2027.
Miami comes together to create, carry and share light. Lanterns made in classrooms, studios, living rooms, lobbies and community rooms across the city — carried together down Lincoln Road for one extraordinary evening.
Saturday, January 23, 2027 · Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
THE SETTING
LINCOLN ROAD BECOMES THE CANVAS.
Lincoln Road today — before the light arrives.
For one evening, one of America's most iconic pedestrian streets becomes a moving work of art.
From Alton Road to Drexel Avenue, lanterns created across our community will travel beneath Lincoln Road's trees, past its fountains, its public art, its restaurants, its plazas and its gathering places.
Music and a live DJ will bring energy to Lincoln Road as the lantern procession moves through the district.
The architecture stays the same. The light changes everything.
BENEATH THE TREES. PAST THE FOUNTAINS.
Walk it in daylight and it is a street of shade, water, benches and conversation. Imagine it after dark, carried forward by thousands of small points of light moving in the same direction.
THE ROUTE
LINCOLN ROAD, END TO END.
The proposed parade travels the length of Lincoln Road, from Alton Road to Drexel Avenue — approximately 0.6 mile of one of America's most recognizable pedestrian streets, walked slowly, together, after dark.
START
Alton Road
Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
MIDPOINT
Meridian Avenue
Lincoln Road Mall
FINISH
Drexel Avenue
Parade concludes here
Approximately 0.6 mile
Proposed route — subject to final approvals.
THE WORK
THREE SCALES OF LIGHT.
Spectacular large-scale works and simple handmade lanterns belong in the same parade. Together they make the artwork.
01
SIGNATURE LANTERNS
Large-scale artistic lantern works created by invited or selected Miami-area artists, designers, makers, schools, institutions and creative teams. These become the visual anchors of the parade.
02
COMMUNITY LANTERNS
Lantern projects created collaboratively by schools, neighborhoods, community groups, cultural organizations, businesses and other participating groups.
03
INDIVIDUAL LANTERNS
Lanterns created and carried by children, families, residents and visitors — made at a kitchen table, in a classroom or at a community workshop.
2027 THEME
INTO THE BLUE.
This year's inspiration is the extraordinary world where Miami meets the sea.
Think
glowing jellyfishgiant raysfantastical fishcoral gardensseahorsessea turtlesmysterious creatures from the deeptropical birdsmangroveswavesboatsbeachesor something entirely from your imagination
Interpret it any way you like.
Small lantern. Giant lantern. Beautiful. Strange. Elegant. Ridiculous.
Just make it glow.
Easy DIY · Wearable Cardboard Box Lantern
Wear the Parade
Turn a cardboard box into a walking work of light.
One of the easiest, most eye-catching lanterns you can make. Wear a real cardboard box around your torso — head out the top, arms through the sides — and turn all four sides into Into the Blue artwork.
The light goes on the outside: battery-powered LED rope or string lights wrapped around the edges and tracing your design, so you glow from every angle. Inexpensive, fun and achievable for families, schools, businesses and community groups.
Rolling wavesGlowing jellyfishSea turtleCoral gardenStarfishSchool of fishAbstract ocean patternsAn “INTO THE BLUE” message box
Illustrative concept
How to Make It
- 01
Choose a lightweight cardboard box that fits comfortably around your torso.
- 02
Cut a generous head opening and arm holes. Reinforce and smooth the edges with tape so they're rounded and comfortable.
- 03
Paint or decorate all four sides in an Into the Blue design.
- 04
Attach battery-powered LED rope or string lights to the OUTSIDE edges or along the artwork using safe clips, zip ties or tape.
- 05
Secure the battery pack inside the box, then test movement and visibility well before parade night.
- 06
Optional: add shoulder or waist straps to keep the box stable while you walk.
Safety First
- Battery-powered LEDs only
- No candles or open flames — ever
- Keep all wiring secured and tucked
- Keep head and arm openings clear so you can see and move
- Keep it light enough to walk comfortably
Typical Size
Roughly 16–18 inches wide and 18–22 inches tall. These are only a guide — adapt the dimensions to your body and your design.
Sign up to hear about lantern-making workshops, where artists and materials can help you build yours.
Lantern Parade Ideas · Into the Blue
Anything can become a lantern.
Wear it · Carry it · Fly it · Roll it · Build it together
A lantern doesn't have to be a traditional handheld lantern. It can be worn, carried, rolled, ridden, puppeteered or built collectively. Here are some ideas to get you started.
All images are AI-generated illustrative concepts — not photographs from the event.
Community idea
Illustrative conceptThe School of 1,000 Fish
Hundreds of inexpensive, participant-made illuminated fish come together to become one giant moving school — proof that small lanterns can make something enormous.
Illustrative conceptPerson in front → pull handle → cart behindRoll it · Mobile sound lantern
Rolling Lantern
Pull the music with you.
Turn a wagon or utility cart into a mobile lantern, sound system and moving piece of art. Wear or carry your own lantern as you walk ahead and pull the glowing cart behind you — with room for music, announcements, singing, chants or performance along the way.
- •Rechargeable, battery-powered speaker
- •Wireless microphone
- •External LED lighting on the cart artwork
- •Secure battery/power pack
- •Lightweight decorations
- •Keep wheels, handle and walking path unobstructed
Cart themes
Jellyfish reefSchool of fishWhaleShellOctopusINTO THE BLUE message cart
Ideal for schools, neighborhood groups, businesses, performers and families.
Music and PA use must follow parade organizer instructions and applicable event sound rules.
Wear it · Easy DIY costume
Pool Noodle + Glowing Tutu
Colorful pool noodles, a tulle tutu and battery-powered LEDs turn into wearable Into the Blue sea creatures. Lightweight, inexpensive and endlessly customizable — even in your school or team colors. Great for families, schools, businesses and neighborhood groups.
Coral reefJellyfishSeaweedOctopusWaves
Simple build
- 1Materials: pool noodles, a tulle tutu or lightweight waistband, battery LED string/rope lights, zip ties or clips.
- 2Cut and shape pool noodles into coral, waves or tentacles.
- 3Secure the noodles to the tutu or waistband without restricting movement.
- 4Wrap or attach battery-powered LEDs on the outside and secure the battery pack.
- 5Wear-test for comfort, visibility and easy walking.
LEDs only — no flame. Keep lighting and wiring secure, and make sure nothing hangs low enough to create a trip hazard.
Illustrative concept- Wear it
Wearable Box Lantern
A painted cardboard box with LED lights on the outside.
Carry itJellyfish Umbrella
An umbrella dome with glowing ribbon tentacles.
Build it togetherGiant Sea Turtle
A team-carried turtle glowing on poles.
Build it togetherGiant Whale Hero Lantern
A monumental whale moving above the crowd.
Fly itManta Ray
Wide glowing wings gliding overhead.
Puppeteer itOctopus
Illuminated tentacles brought to life by puppeteers.
Carry itSchool of Fish
A swirl of small fish orbiting a single pole.
Wear itLantern Hats & Headpieces
Illuminated crowns of fish, shells and coral.
Wear itCoral Reef Costumes
Walk as a living, glowing reef.
Carry itGlowing Umbrellas
String lights turn any umbrella into a lantern.
Wear itGlowing Wings
Light-outlined wings, like a flying fish.
Carry itIlluminated Picture Frames
Frame yourself inside your own ocean artwork.
Carry itMini Lanterns for Little Ones
Small, light fish and stars on short sticks.
Carry itRecycled Bottle Lanterns
Plastic bottles reborn as glowing fish.
Roll itRolling Carts, Wagons & Strollers
A reef on wheels — easy for families.
Ride itBicycle Lanterns
Waves and fish riding along a walked bicycle.
Walk itPet Lantern Concept
Only if your pet is calm in crowds: a light, comfortable LED collar or harness — never anything heavy, hot or restrictive.
Carry itMessage Lanterns
OCEAN. MIAMI. HOPE. Say something in light.
Build it togetherNeighborhood, School & Business Lanterns
One big collective creation from your group.
Small lantern. Giant lantern. Just make it glow.
Battery-powered LEDs only — no candles or open flames in any lantern.
The Light We Carry
Made by the Community, for the Community
From paper lanterns to large illuminated works, every light in the parade is carried by someone who helped create the night.
INAUGURAL EVENT
A NEW MIAMI TRADITION BEGINS.
The Miami Lantern Parade is a brand-new community celebration — a procession of handmade light created by the people who live here.
The inaugural Parade takes place on Lincoln Road, built on a civic scale with a community arts program behind it.
THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUAL LIGHTS. ONE COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY ARTS
THE PARADE BEGINS LONG BEFORE THE LIGHTS COME ON.
The Miami Lantern Parade is created by the community. Make a lantern at home, build one with friends, create one at school, gather your neighbors or bring an entire organization together and make something spectacular.
We also plan to host organized lantern-making workshops in the months leading up to the Parade, with artists, materials and plenty of inspiration. Sign up to be notified when workshops are announced.
Then, for one extraordinary night, everything comes together on Lincoln Road — commissioned works alongside thousands of lanterns created by children, families, schools, organizations, artists and neighbors.
Made by Miami. Carried by Miami. Lit by everyone.
THE MODEL
HOW THE LIGHT GETS MADE.
- 01
SPONSORS · GRANTS · COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Support from businesses, institutions, grant programs and residents.
- 02
ARTISTS · MATERIALS · WORKSHOPS · PERFORMANCES · PRODUCTION
That support is intended to fund artist commissions, free materials, community workshops, performers and the production behind the evening.
- 03
FREE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Anyone can make a lantern and walk the route. Participation is free by design.
- 04
MIAMI LANTERN PARADE
One extraordinary night on Lincoln Road — the culmination of months of community creativity.
The Miami Lantern Parade is produced by STOLTZ ONE LLC and is not a nonprofit or 501(c)(3) organization. Sponsorships and community support are not represented as tax-deductible charitable donations.
ARTISTS
CALLING MIAMI ARTISTS.
We plan to commission artists to create a collection of spectacular large-scale illuminated works for the Miami Lantern Parade.
Painters, sculptors, designers, architects, fabricators, lighting artists, puppeteers, installation artists and wonderfully inventive people who don't fit neatly into any category are invited to participate.
SCHOOLS
SCHOOLS BECOME PART OF THE ART.
Miami Beach schools are invited to bring their students into the artwork. The program intends to remove financial barriers so children can participate regardless of their school's resources.
- Lantern-making materials
- Project ideas and educational resources
- Access to artists and teaching artists when available
- Opportunities to create collaborative lanterns
- Participation in the Miami Lantern Parade
- Opportunities for students' artwork to be seen by the broader community
A nonsectarian community arts program, open to public, private, charter, religious and independent schools. The program provides materials, resources and access — not cash grants.
FREE COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
MAKE A LANTERN. JOIN THE PARADE.
We plan to host organized lantern-making workshops in the months leading up to the Parade, with artists, materials and plenty of inspiration.
You do not need to be a professional artist. You need an idea and an evening.
Families, children, adults, seniors, artists, businesses and visitors can make lanterns and ultimately walk together in the parade.
IF YOU HAVE A LANTERN, YOU'RE PART OF THE PARADE.
CULTURAL COMMUNITIES
THE COMMON LANGUAGE IS LIGHT.
Miami's communities are invited to interpret the idea of light through their own traditions, cultures, histories and creativity.
Jewish organizations, churches, cultural organizations, immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ organizations, neighborhood associations, colleges, businesses and other Miami communities are equally invited to participate.
This is a civic, nonsectarian celebration. What we share is the light.
THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUAL LIGHTS. ONE COMMUNITY.
PARTICIPATION
WHO CREATES THE LIGHT?
The Miami Lantern Parade is created by the community. Make a lantern at home, build one with friends, create one at school, gather your neighbors or bring an entire organization together and make something spectacular.
CHILDREN & FAMILIES
Families making lanterns together and walking the route side by side.
MIAMI BEACH SCHOOLS
Students creating lanterns through art classes, classroom projects and after-school programs.
ARTISTS & DESIGNERS
Artists, sculptors, designers and makers creating signature illuminated works.
NEIGHBORHOODS & RESIDENTS
South Beach, Mid-Beach, North Beach, the islands and neighboring communities walking together.
CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
Museums, galleries, performing arts groups and cultural institutions creating and participating.
FAITH COMMUNITIES
Congregations and community organizations interpreting the universal idea of light through their own traditions.
COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
Students and design programs bringing scale, craft and experimentation to the route.
LINCOLN ROAD BUSINESSES
Merchants, restaurants and hotels creating lanterns and forming employee teams.
VISITORS
People visiting Miami Beach during parade week, invited to make a lantern and join in.
An invitation, not a list of confirmed participants.
SCHOOLS
IMAGINE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN CARRYING THEIR OWN LIGHT.
A child makes something with their own hands. They carry it through Miami Beach at night. And they become part of a larger artwork created by the city around them.
Schools across the island community will be invited to participate — through art classes, classroom projects, after-school programs, family workshops and school lantern teams.
Art teachers can shape the work. Parents can help build it. School communities can walk the route together, behind a banner of their own light.
CREATIVITY, MADE PUBLIC.
ARTISTS
CALLING MIAMI ARTISTS.
Imagine what you could make with light.
We plan to commission artists to create a collection of spectacular large-scale illuminated works for the Miami Lantern Parade.
Painters, sculptors, designers, architects, fabricators, lighting artists, puppeteers, installation artists and wonderfully inventive people who don't fit neatly into any category are invited to participate.
Sign up to receive the Artist Call and submit your concept when applications open.
Possible directions
- Animals
- Marine life
- Tropical plants
- Abstract sculpture
- Fantastical creatures
- Cultural interpretations of light
- Works inspired by Miami
Artist opportunities and selection details will be announced as the program develops. No artists have been announced.
CULTURAL ART EXCHANGE — IN DEVELOPMENT
LIGHT TRAVELS. ART CONNECTS US.
The Miami Lantern Parade is developing an international Cultural Art Exchange connecting Miami artists with artists and communities around the world.
Each exchange would bring visiting artists to Miami to collaborate with local artists, schools and community organizations — creating extraordinary illuminated works, sharing techniques and ideas, and participating in workshops leading up to the Miami Lantern Parade.
But an exchange should go both ways.
The vision is for Miami artists to travel to partner communities in return, creating new work, collaborating with local artists and sharing Miami's extraordinary cultural identity with the world.
ARTISTS CROSSING BORDERS. COMMUNITIES SHARING IDEAS. ART TRAVELING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
- WORLD
- MIAMI
- CREATE TOGETHER
- PARADE
- MIAMI
- WORLD
- Visiting artists come to Miami.
- Miami artists work alongside them.
- Communities participate in the creative process.
- Their collaborative work becomes part of the Miami Lantern Parade.
- Miami artists then have opportunities to participate in reciprocal cultural experiences abroad.
AN EXAMPLE OF THE CONCEPT — NOT A CONFIRMED PARTNERSHIP
MIAMI × CAPE TOWN
Two coastal cities. Two extraordinary cultures. One ocean between them.
Imagine artists from Cape Town coming to Miami to work alongside Miami artists and communities on a monumental illuminated creation inspired by the sea, followed by Miami artists traveling to South Africa for a reciprocal cultural experience.
The artists could work with schools, lead public workshops, collaborate with local makers and ultimately create work that thousands of people experience together.
This example illustrates what the Cultural Art Exchange could become.
AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION EACH YEAR.
The longer-term vision is for each Miami Lantern Parade to feature an international artist or partner community.
Potential future exchanges might connect Miami with creative communities throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and Asia.
Global in reach. Rooted in Miami.
ARTISTS: TAKE YOUR WORK SOMEWHERE NEW.
Miami artists and international artists interested in future Cultural Art Exchanges are invited to register their interest. This is an expression of interest, not an application.
HELP ART TRAVEL.
The Cultural Art Exchange will require partners beyond traditional event sponsors — organizations that can help artists move, work and create across borders.
- Artist travel
- Accommodation
- Artist commissions
- Materials
- Studio / workspace
- Cultural programming
- Local transportation
- School and community workshops
Airlines, hotels, cultural institutions, universities, consulates, foundations and corporate partners are invited to express interest.
The Cultural Art Exchange is not a separate initiative. The Miami Lantern Parade remains the public culmination — international artists create alongside Miami artists and communities, and their work ultimately joins the extraordinary collection of illuminated creations carried and displayed on Lincoln Road.
WE MAKE SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY TOGETHER — AND THEN WE CARRY THAT LIGHT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
COMMUNITY
LIGHT BELONGS TO EVERYONE.
Light is one of the few symbols almost every culture understands.
Miami Beach's many communities are invited to interpret light through their own traditions, cultures, stories and imagination — Jewish and Christian congregations, cultural communities, civic groups, secular organizations and neighbors with no affiliation at all.
The parade itself is inclusive, civic and nonsectarian. It belongs to everyone who helps create it.
ONE ISLAND. MANY TRADITIONS. ONE NIGHT OF LIGHT.
BUSINESS & HOSPITALITY
LINCOLN ROAD IS PART OF THE EXPERIENCE.
Lincoln Road is not simply the route. Its merchants, restaurants, hotels and property owners are part of what makes the evening feel like Miami Beach.
Businesses across the island are invited to take part in ways that suit them.
- Window displays
- Lantern installations
- Employee lantern teams
- Hospitality on parade night
- Hosting or sponsoring a workshop
- Community activations
- Sponsorship
- In-kind support
These are invitations, not confirmed programs.
LINCOLN ROAD PROPERTY OWNERS
YOUR BUILDINGS FRAME THE PARADE.
The Miami Lantern Parade is being created not simply on Lincoln Road, but with the businesses, properties and people that make Lincoln Road what it is.
Property owners can participate by connecting us with their tenants, activating vacant storefronts, hosting lantern installations or workshops, supporting building-scale creative elements, or simply helping their tenants become part of the evening.
No single form of participation is required. We want each property to participate in a way that makes sense for them.
SPONSORSHIP
WHAT YOUR SPONSORSHIP MAKES POSSIBLE.
Sponsorship helps fund the artists, materials, community participation and production that bring the parade to life.
- Miami artist commissions
- Free lantern-making materials
- School participation
- Community workshops
- Large-scale illuminated artworks
- Musicians and performers
- Accessibility and community participation
- Parade production
- A free public cultural experience on Lincoln Road
Sponsorship is a commercial marketing and community-support relationship, not a tax-deductible charitable donation.
SUPPORT
HELP LIGHT MIAMI BEACH.
The 2027 parade is being built now, and founding partners help make this edition possible.
We are developing partnership in coordination with event partners. Support can be directed where it matters most.
Support makes possible
- Artist commissions
- School lantern programs
- Community workshops
- Accessibility
- Production
- Public programming
Who we're speaking with
- Founding partners
- Businesses
- Cultural institutions
- Philanthropic organizations
- Media partners
- Community partners
- In-kind contributors
Lincoln Road Business Improvement District
- Anabel Llopis
- Claudia Jagid
LANTERN & SAFETY
LIGHT IT. DON'T LIGHT IT ON FIRE.
LED lights only. No candles. No open flames. No floating lanterns.
We want Miami Beach to glow — safely and sustainably. Lanterns must use battery-powered LED lighting. Floating or sky lanterns are not permitted. Event operations remain subject to final approvals.
NO OPEN FLAMES
NO FLOATING OR SKY LANTERNS
NO E-BIKES OR E-SCOOTERS ON THE PARADE ROUTE