Lantern Fest promises to illuminate Missouri sky, but venue owner says it’s a scam

The Lantern Fest promises to illuminate the Missouri sky with a stunning show of lights during a festival later this month, but the owner of the venue is warning people that the event may be a scam.

The event itself sounds like a scene taken from Disney’s “Tangled” as Rapunzel and Flynn watch glowing lanterns turn the dark sky into an awe-inspiring nighttime display.

“At Lantern Fest, thousands of revelers empowered with lanterns join together for one unforgettable night time spectacle,” the festival description claims. “Before sundown, friends and families can enjoy food, live music, a stage show, princesses, face painting, s’mores, balloon artists and more. Then, when the time is just right... We will light the sky with our highest hopes and fondest dreams.”

But this Sept. 18 event — claiming to be held at Brookdale Farms in Eureka, Missouri — is only pretending to be magical.

“This is a scam,” Brookdale Farms posted to Facebook. “Do not purchase tickets. There is No Event booked with us.”

“We don’t believe this is a legitimate event and if it is, it certainly isn’t here,” Brookdale Farms owner Jerry Kirk said, according to KTVI. “We have not talked to anybody, there is no event scheduled for here at all ... I’m really concerned that people are going to show up here with tickets thinking there is going to be an event on that evening and there really isn’t.”

Lantern Passes were sold online at $15 for kids and $50 for adults with an option to add on a $300 VIP Lantern Experience. The VIP package promises a reserved fire pit, six extra lanterns, a gift bundle and VIP bathroom access. As of Thursday evening, tickets were no longer available for purchase on the event site.

McClatchy News tried contacting the event organizers through the email listed on the Lantern Fest website but received an automated undeliverable email response.

Two years ago, St. Louis County fell victim to a similar scam, KSDK reported.

“Thousands of tickets were sold for an event called The Lantern Fest, but the event those buyers were promised will likely never exist,” KSDK reported in May 2019. This event was also advertising it’d be offered at Brookdale Farms.

The Lantern Fest encourages festival-goers to visit their Instagram page for “festival inspiration,” and it’s filled with hundreds of Insta-worthy photos where lanterns fill the night sky.

Their last photo, though, was of a bulldog in June 2019.

“Regretfully, the event scheduled for June 22nd in Eureka/St. Louis, MO is not going to take place in 2019,” the post says. “We are working on a solution for people who have paid for this event and will provide more information as it is finalized.”

The post garnered 28 comments from Instagram users claiming it’s a scam and demanding refunds. The festival did not publicly respond to commenters.

Brookdale Farms, about 30 miles from downtown St. Louis, does host events throughout the year, according to its website. Those events include a sunflower maze and carriage rides through holiday lights.

The Missouri farm has even hosted lantern festivals in the past, KTVI reported, but the company that organized the festival has since stopped operating.

Also in 2019, so-called water lantern festivals were scheduled for Dana Point and Long Beach in California, The Orange County Register reported, but the events never occurred after many purchased tickets.

A Facebook page named “The Lights Fest Scam” with over 200 likes was active in 2017 and 2018 when similar lantern festivals were mysteriously canceled and no refunds were issued.

This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Lantern Fest promises to illuminate Missouri sky, but venue owner says it’s a scam."