Lantern Festival- Missouri Botanical Garden St.Louis July 31, 2015

Vicky wanted to go see the lantern festival this weekend. I didn't mind but I was completely wrong about what I thought it was going to be. I had thought it was just going to be the standard Lanterns hanging in the trees all over the Garden, instead it was these giant elaborate lantern displays. Some moved, some had smoke (steam) and all of them told a story as you walked around the Garden.

We ate our favorite Irish Pub (O'Connell's). Friday is always great Fish and Chip night

 We then walked the 4 blocks to the Garden through the Shaw neighborhood

The entrance to the Garden was all lite up

Our friend John Merkle, who came with us to dinner and the garden

They had just turned the lights in the lanterns on at 8 pm when we arrived so we wondered around waiting for it to get really dark so the lanterns would really glow.

When the night started the lanterns really started to dominate the landscape.

Just enjoy the rest!

 All these lanterns were made from recycled material. these Pagodas were 50' tall made completely from paper plates  (below)

The "Blue Moon" finally made an appearance over the Garden

a couple in the moonlight.....

On the way out the phoenix was guarding the front entrance was breathing fire