Welcome the onset of spring on the banks of the Cuyahoga River this Saturday, March 11 at Canalway’s annual Towpath Trail Lantern Parade—a celebration of light, creativity, and sustainability.

Make a lantern out of recycled materials and join local artists with their own illuminated creations at Sokolowski's Overlook in Tremont on the Towpath Trail. Local artists will be at the event, displaying commissioned works of illuminated art made entirely from recycled materials. Their works are meant to celebrate nature and encourage environmentalism.

This year’s featured artists include Ron Shelton, Haley Himiko Hudson Morris, and Joyce Morrow Jones.

The parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the course is a 1.6-mile roundtrip on the Towpath Trail, starting and ending at Sokolowski’s Overlook. John Marshall High School Drumline and a light dancer will also join the parade festivities.

The Cleveland Museum of Art Community Arts Center and Heights Arts are offering free lantern-making workshops before the event. Bring a plastic or glass jar and learn how to transform it with professional artist Debbie Apple-Presser.

The open house workshops include scheduled demonstrations, craft supplies, and battery powered lights. The Heights Arts workshop is on Thursday, March 9 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the Community Arts Center workshop is on Saturday, March 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Registration for the Towpath Trail Lantern Parade is requested, but not required.