Thousands of families visited Scarborough at the weekend as Peasholm Park was once again transformed into a wonderland of lanterns and illuminations.
The biggest-ever Moonlight on the Lake event was held on Friday and Saturday (October 24 and October 25) with more than 9,000 tickets sold.
The largest event of its kind on the North Yorkshire coast, the artistic extravaganza is organised by North Yorkshire Council and staged by Animated Objects. It aims to celebrate the town’s heritage and provide a welcome boost to local businesses.
This year’s event played host to a full-size cardboard replica of a Spitfire which was illuminated, along with other artworks of remembrance and reflection on the 80-year anniversary since the end of the Second World War.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture, Cllr Simon Myers, said:
“Moonlight on the Lake is always one of the most popular events of the year with thousands of families from across the county visiting Scarborough.
“I’m delighted that this year’s event was no different – and I’m sure there is already excitement about how the 2026 offering can be even bigger and better.
“We are always looking at ways to extend the tourism season beyond the summer when our towns and coastal destinations can see reduced footfall, and Moonlight on the Lake is one of the county’s jewels in helping us to achieve that.
“I would like to thank everybody who played their part in this year’s fantastic event, and hope families will continue to visit the town and enjoy everything it has to offer.”
Visitors of all ages witnessed the largest range of illuminated lanterns ever seen on the Yorkshire coast, with magical reflections created in the water and a stunning array of lights which celebrated the history of Peasholm Park and Scarborough’s heritage.
The artistic director of Animated Objects, Lee Threadgold, said:
“We’re really pleased with how the event was received by the public - and it was fantastic to see such a mixture of locals and visitors from out of the area enjoying the lanterns together.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to the thousands of people who braved the weather to visit Peasholm Park and support the event, as well as for the hundreds of lovely comments we had when speaking to people at the event and during the week as we were setting up.
“It’s extremely heartwarming to hear visitors’ appreciation for the time and skill it takes to produce handmade lanterns for an event of this kind.
“We’d also like to thank our team and North Yorkshire Council for their support with the organisation of the event. It’s a pleasure working alongside everyone to grow an event that started as a seed of an idea in the wake of the pandemic.
“We’re already making plans for next year, as well as for the community lantern parade that will take place in Peasholm Park leading to Scarborough Sparkle on the evening of Friday, November 28.”
Moonlight on the Lake is among the events staged outside of the busy summer tourism season to try to boost the county’s visitor economy.
Tourism in the Scarborough area is worth more than £579 million annually with 3.9 million visitors each year and more than 5,500 full-time jobs supported by the sector.
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