For an 11th straight year, the Department of Illumination Artistic Company and their hundreds of lit-up supporters brought light to a darkened Picton the first weekend of November.

Firelight, to be exact.

The  Firelight Lantern Festival kicked off Friday night with an adult dance party and silent auction at the Crystal Palace, complete with a DJ, circus performers and a creative menu developed by Base31 that was indeed a “Feast for Beasts.”

A musical march down Picton Main Street Saturday evening started at Benson Hall and attracted hundreds of onlookers and marchers alike. The gathering started with a performance by North Fire Circus and morphed into a “Beasts for Peace” parade all the way to the Crystal Palace. Revellers of all ages danced in their costumes and, with lanterns held aloft, grooved to beats delivered by DJ Ombudsman and folk rock group Beams.

Organizer Krista Dalby said the community’s support of the festival was “absolutely phenomenal.” She noted that as the days grow shorter and the winter solstice approaches, “we all have the power to conjure the light and share it with those around us.”

“Be kind to each other.”