Lantern Fest nixed due to fire code
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on October 18, 2017 5:50 AM
The Lantern Fest, planned to take place in downtown Goldsboro on Nov. 11, is canceled due to state fire code regulations.
The festival was originally planned to take place on Oct. 7 in Fayetteville but was moved to Goldsboro after a local law prohibited the third annual event in the city.
The 2012 N.C. Fire Code was amended in January and does not allow the release of untethered sky lanterns, which use an open flame to make the device airborne, according to city officials. The prohibition is statewide.
Goldsboro Fire Chief Gary Whaley originally approved the festival, based on the 2012 fire code until he learned that the releasing of sky lanterns is prohibited in North Carolina.
"After Fayetteville canceled their Lantern Fest event, I asked my Inspections Department to obtain clarification from the state regarding the code," Whaley said. "In doing so, we found out that the Building Code Board had gone back and amended the 2012 Code to be effective in 2017 which prohibits the use of sky lanterns.
"After receiving this information, I immediately contacted city officials and advised we would have to cancel the event based on state code."
The Lantern Fest was planned to take place in an open field next to Well Travelled Beer, on South Center Street, along with a kid's zone, fire pits with s'mores, food trucks, a beer and wine garden, vendors and live music, Ashlin Glatthar, Goldsboro-Wayne Travel and Tourism director. The lantern launch would have taken place at dusk and the event was set the same day as the Veterans Parade to recognize area military personnel and their families.
"Goldsboro has come a long ways in the recent years, especially downtown," Glatthar said. "Although we are disappointed that fire codes will prevent this event from taking place, to be sure, we will create more opportunities to bring exciting events to Goldsboro soon."
The Lantern Fest, owned by Sack Lunch Productions, provided the city of Goldsboro with 400 tickets that were given to the marketing office at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Glatthar said.
City officials advise ticket-holders seeking a refund to directly contact the Lantern Fest, which has a no-refund policy but allows tickets to be transferred to other event locations.
"We are disappointed to learn that we could not host this event, but understand why the restriction exists" said Scott Stevens, city manager.
Glatthar said an excitement surrounded the festival's plans in the city. Lantern festivals are organized at different locations across the nation.
"We always strive to make our community better, offering more things for families to do and visitors to enjoy," she said. "This event was going to be a fun, attractive way to continue to reach out to our military families and folks who haven't seen our recent improvements."