ULVERSTON Lantern Festival 2020 may turn into a virtual event if the actual procession through the town cannot take place because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The festival normally attracts thousands of people to see the procession through the town and firework finale in Ford Park.

The organisers are determined to give local people the chance to express their creativity and have some much-needed fun with their families making lanterns in 2020.

Plan A is to hold the festival with a procession through the town and finale with fireworks at Ford Park. But if that is not possible, ‘Plan V’ will be a virtual festival with people making lanterns and displaying them outside their homes, and a festival gallery on-line to display photos and video of the lanterns.

Visitors and spectators will be encouraged to stroll around the town seeking out the Lanterns on the evenings of Friday September 18 and Saturday September 19, while maintaining social distancing.

Chris Nelson, festival chairman, said: “Our priority is to ensure people stay safe and do not put themselves or others at risk to take part in the 2020 Lantern Festival. But at the same time, we want lantern-making to take place; it is a great family activity and will bring out the community spirit which is so strong in Ulverston.

“Our chosen theme for 2020 - ‘Birds and the Bees’ - gives huge scope for making everything that crawls, flies or flutters, from worms, ants, flies and beetles to butterflies, dragon flies and ladybirds, and from sparrows, robins and ospreys, to gulls, gannets and golden eagles.”

People making the lanterns in their homes would be asked to send photos or videos of the lantern-making and the finished lanterns.