Free lantern parade leaves the Council House at 4pm on Saturday 31 October, with Petworth Town Band, a Mayor's proclamation at the Market Cross and a blessing.
The Mayor of Chichester and the city councillors will lead a lantern parade from the Council House on North Street at 4pm on Saturday 31 October, and anyone can walk with them. The procession, part of Chichester City Council’s celebrations of 800 years of civic history, stops at the Market Cross for a proclamation by the Mayor and ends in Priory Park at about 4.30pm. It is free and there is nothing to book.
The council, announcing the details on 20 October, says everyone is welcome “whether carrying a lantern made at one of the Council’s workshops, a lantern created at home, or simply joining friends, family and neighbours for this unique civic celebration.”
The Municipal Moon, revived
The parade is modelled on an old Chichester custom. The Mayor would walk through the city streets behind a globe-shaped lantern known as the Municipal Moon, which is now kept at The Novium Museum. The council says that “eight centuries later” it is reviving the tradition, “inviting residents of all ages to carry lanterns, light up the city, and celebrate the rich heritage and strong community spirit that continue to define Chichester today.”
The route and what happens at the Cross
- 4pm, the Council House, North Street. The Mayor and councillors set off with the Petworth Town Band playing.
- The Market Cross. The Mayor delivers a proclamation to mark the city’s 800th anniversary, followed by a blessing for Chichester from the Reverend Canon David Nason.
- East Street to Priory Park. The procession carries on along East Street and finishes in the park at about 4.30pm, which, as the council puts it, leaves “plenty of time for families to enjoy the rest of their Halloween celebrations.”
The council’s half term page adds that the parade ends at the Guildhall in Priory Park.
No lantern? You can still make or borrow one
The booked lantern-making workshops have sold out, but the council says a limited number of walk-in spaces will be available on Thursday 29 October from 10.30am to 4pm, first come, first served, in the Assembly Room at the Council House. Its workshop page says the sessions are run with Creative Beatz, that walk-in places depend on space and instructors, and that “you may therefore need to wait before a space becomes available.”
A lantern made at home is just as welcome, and the council will have a small number of pre-made lanterns at the Council House on the day for anyone who turns up without one.
What it means for you
- Cost: free. No ticket is needed to walk in the parade or watch it.
- Where to be: outside the Council House on North Street before 4pm, or anywhere along the route to the Market Cross and East Street.
- How long: about half an hour, finishing in Priory Park around 4.30pm, so it fits before an evening of trick or treating.
- Getting there: see our guide to parking in Chichester. the rail closure west of Chichester runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, so check what runs that week if you are coming in by train for the Thursday workshops.
“Whether you’re carrying a lantern, enjoying the music, or simply supporting from the sidelines, this promises to be a memorable afternoon celebrating the people, history and community spirit that have shaped Chichester over the past 800 years,” the council said. “Join us as we light up the city and create a new chapter in Chichester’s story together.”
The council’s other free events that week, including its sold-out Spooky Disco after the parade, are on its half term activities page and in our round-up of Halloween in Chichester and October half term in Chichester.
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