Oak Island’s annual Lantern Parade starts off New Year with bright beginning

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — As the sun set on the first day of the New Year, lanterns lit up the beach strand in Oak Island.

Hundreds of people lined up at the Oak Island Pier for the annual Lantern Parade.

Led by bagpipes, the parade made its way from the pier to McGlamery Street and back.

Bonnie and John Jordan have lived on Oak Island for ten years. The parade is something they look forward to every year.

“There’s local people as well as tourists so I just feel like Oak Island has a lot of great community events. It’s just really a great place to be all throughout the year,” Bonnie said. “It’s a great start [to the year]. We’re on the beach and having a good time so there is no better spot right now,” John added.

People of all ages paraded the lanterns down the beach, whether hand-crafted or premade.