The Water Lantern Festival was held at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. About 3,000 water lanterns were launched in the small pond behind the school, each containing personal messages, with about 20% of the proceeds from the festival going to the Make-A-Wish Illinois Foundation. (Jon Langham/for the Naperville Sun)
Thousands of people gathered Saturday to decorate and launch about 3,000 illuminated lanterns in the small pond behind Neuqua Valley High School as part of the Water Lantern Festival in Naperville. Make-A-Wish Illinois, which serves children with critical illnesses, has been partnering with the Water Lantern Festival since March. The organizations came together over a shared mission of bringing hope, joy and unity to people even in their darkest moments, a representative for Make-A-Wish Illinois said.
The Water Lantern Festival was held at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. About 3,000 water lanterns were launched in the small pond behind the school, each containing personal messages, with about 20% of the proceeds from the festival going to the Make-A-Wish Illinois Foundation. (Jon Langham/for the Naperville Sun)This is one of the 3,000 or so illuminated, personalized lanterns that were part of the Water Lantern Festival held Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville. The event raised money for the Make-A-Wish Illinois Foundation. (Jon Langham/for the Naperville Sun)Ricardo Rivas and Joselyn Figueroa display their lanterns before heading to the water to launch them as part of the Water Lantern Festival in Naperville, which raised money for the Make-A-Wish Illinois Foundation. It was held Saturday night on the small pond next to Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville. (Jon Langham/for the Naperville Sun)
