Lantern Walk 2023

This year our Lantern Walk is designed to allow you to visit all of the new trees that will have been planted through TreeVitalize. The illuminated path begins at the Coral Street Gate (by the Grades play yard) where you will pick up your candle, and runs along the sidewalk on the perimeter of our campus. On this path you will visit the many Dogwood and Redbud trees that line the street, until you get to the big, wrought iron gate by the Buttercup Kindergarten play yard. From there you will enter the grounds of the campus to view the Golden Willow in the Beehive play yard, Persimmon & Paw Paw trees in the Early Childhood play yards and two Red Maple Trees on Heartwood Annex lawn. After you pass Heartwood Annex you'll meander through the Mulberry play yard to Evaline St. and back into the Grades play yard and finally you will visit the majestic tree—the Dawn Redwood. Lantern candles will be collected at the end of the path in the Fairy Garden.

WSP is so grateful to TreeVitalize for these new additions to our campus and to WSP parent Emily Bush for connecting WSP to the program. All twenty trees have been donated and planted at no cost to our school. Let us all embrace these trees as part of our campus by including them as part of our Lantern Walk.

About The Lantern Walk

The Lantern Walk, an expression of the festival of Martinmas, celebrates hope and kindness and being called to help others by bringing light in the world. As we walk in light, we hold a quiet space within ourselves. We are invited to ponder the unique talents and gifts which live within each of us that we can share with our family and with our community.  The festival of Martinmas grew out of the story of St. Martin which is about a young man who came upon another man who was cold and shivering in the night. Martin took off his cloak, tore it in two, laid half over the shivering man, and gave him his lantern so he would have warmth and light.  

Our Lantern Walk this year is for the whole community and is an individual family experience. The walk takes approximately 15-20 minutes.  

The Lantern Walk is intended to be a reverent, peaceful, magical experience. We need your help in sharing the responsibility of preserving a mood of receptive quiet. In keeping with this intent, please leave your cell phones in the car, speak in hushed voices when you arrive, and refrain from talking during the walk. To preserve the beauty of the experience, please walk silently to your car when you have finished your walk.  Thank you, in advance, for helping make this a magical night for your child and our community.