Newark's Garden of Light: Community Invited to Lead Cultural Finale with Lantern Parade

Local residents, schools, and community groups across Newark are being warmly invited to play a pivotal role in opening the town's most eagerly awaited cultural finale this spring by carrying the light through the streets. The Garden of Light event, scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2026, will magically transform Newark Market Place into an immersive garden bursting with colour, projection, and floral light art from 6pm to 9pm.

A Celebration of Community Creativity

This free event serves as the grand finale of the Newark Cultural Heart programme, but before the lights officially switch on, something truly special will unfold. In the weeks leading up to the event, local people are actively participating in a series of creative lantern-making workshops held across Newark. Their handmade creations will form an integral part of a ceremonial parade that will officially inaugurate the Garden of Light.

Workshops are being conducted in collaboration with a diverse range of community partners, ensuring the event vividly reflects Newark's rich diversity and creativity. Key participants include Reach Learning Disability, John Hunt Primary School, YMCA Newark and Sherwood, and Reach UK. Additionally, a free open lantern-making session took place during half-term in partnership with Lumo Workshop, offering families and children the opportunity to craft a lantern and join the parade.

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Community-Led Event Emphasizes Participation

Councillor Claire Penny, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Economic Growth at Newark and Sherwood District Council, expressed her enthusiasm: "Garden of Light is a celebration of Newark's creativity and community spirit. By inviting residents to take part in the workshops and parade, we are ensuring this finale event is truly community-led and reflects the people who make our town special. Garden of Light isn't just something to watch, it's something to be part of. The workshops happening across Newark mean that the opening moment of the event will be led by the community itself. What people make will be carried through the town and become part of the spectacle."

Be Part of the Parade

Participants in the workshops will proudly carry their lanterns in a short parade through the town centre, leading directly into the official opening of Garden of Light at Newark Market Place. Families, young people, and community groups eager to join the parade are strongly encouraged to get involved promptly. Further details on how to participate are available through participating schools, community organisations, and the We Are Newark social media pages.

Tina Farrell from Reach Learning Disability highlighted the impact: "At Reach, we're passionate about making sure adults with learning disabilities have the opportunity to take part in community life. Being involved in the Garden of Light workshops means the people we support aren't just attending an event - they're actively shaping it. Having their lanterns carried through Newark and forming part of the opening moment is incredibly powerful. It builds confidence, pride and a real sense of belonging."

A Moment of Renewal and Interaction

Garden of Light is thoughtfully designed as a celebration of renewal, marking the transition from winter to spring through light, colour, and active participation. Visitors will have the chance to interact with illuminated installations, including projections that allow people to pick a flower from a glowing garden and cast it onto Newark Town Hall.

The event is free to attend and open to all, with no booking required. Simply wrap up warm and head to Newark Market Place from 6pm on Saturday, March 7. Garden of Light is part of Newark Cultural Heart, a Newark Towns Fund project funded by the UK Government. The event is delivered by Newark and Sherwood District Council in partnership with Newark Town Council, We Are Newark (Newark Towns Fund Board), and Checkmate Productions.

The lantern-making workshop was free to attend and required no previous experience, with all places allocated on a first-come basis and now fully booked. The rapid sell-out of the open workshop underscores the strong appetite across Newark to actively participate, not merely attend.