Luminara has had many homes in its ten year history, from its original studio in Silver Threads (where the new CRD building now stands), sharing space with Scrabble-playing seniors, then moving on to an empty storefront on the edge of town, then the long-empty Warehouse School, then a Market Square walk-up, then the 'old Monday Magazine' building, and then, and then... Its most recent home, a beautiful domed roof sanctuary with light flooding in through stained glass windows, seems a suitable space from which to build a spectacular event that celebrates ten years of beauty, light and magic.

In the years since Luminara began, thousands of lanterns have been created, moved, broken, rebuilt, moved again, reinvented and bid farewell. Scores of people from all walks of life have come through the studio doors, taken a deep breath of the white glue and coffee fumes and jumped into the creative chaos of the place. Hundreds of community members have entered the studio, been inspired by the setting, dusted with glitter, guided by the brilliant artists, and have come away transformed – infused with fresh ideas, endless possibilities, wonderful and lasting friends and the satisfaction of playing a part in something magical - something much greater than the sum of its parts. Because Luminara is not just about lanterns.

Luminara is much more than one summer night of beauty (but what a beautiful night it is!). Luminara is much brighter than the tens of thousands of IKEA tealights that have been loaded on and off rented cubevans and borrowed pick up trucks. And Luminara is as magical and mysterious as an early morning walk through Beacon Hill Park, looking for traces of the beauty and brilliance of the night before, and finding only a stray strand of sparkly ribbon. Having had the amazing privilege of producing Luminara for its first eight years, there are many aspects of the event that will always be meaningful to me. Ultimately what I think makes it so special is the people, because Luminara attracts the very best kind – creative, dedicated and inspired. The faces and spaces may change over time, but Luminara Victoria has a life of its own. Let's celebrate! Ten glowing candles on a big, beautiful cake – Happy Birthday Luminara!

Alice Bacon