JEAN (KTNV) — Certain public lands surrounding the Jean Dry Lake area will be closed temporarily to ensure public safety during the 2023 RiSE Lantern Festival.
According to Bureau of Land Management officials, the closures will be on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7. The closure will include the Jean Dry Lake Bed and is bordered by Hidden Valley to the east, the Sheep Mountain to the southwest and the right-of-way boundary of State Route 604.
During those closures, the entire area will be closed to all vehicles and personnel except law enforcement, emergency vehicles, event personnel and ticketed festival participants. Participants must remain within the designated spectator areas.
BLM officials said the event sponsor will provide signs and maps directing the public to designated spectator areas.
RiSE Lantern Festival calls itself the "world's largest sky lantern release." The festival is held yearly in the Jean Dry Lake Bed about 25 miles south of Las Vegas.
A limited number of tickets for the two-night festival were still available on Monday. Single-day passes start at $129 for adults and $79 for kids, according to the organizer's website.
Organizers said each guest receives two lanterns to release during the festival.
"You can inscribe whatever you choose on your lanterns," they stated. "Many utilize their lanterns to let go and set new intentions for the future while lifted by the beauty of the moment."
According to RiSE organizers, all lanterns used in the festival are biodegradable. After the event, crews retrieve them from the surrounding desert and pick up any other trash they find there. Organizers say they clear an average of 1 to 2 tons of trash around the festival site each year.
