RiSE Festival in Southern Nevada lets participants send wishes skyward

Write down your wishes, light a lantern and watch as your dreams rise.

That’s what crowds of thousands of people did Friday on the first day of the third annual RiSE Lantern Festival at the Moapa Valley River Indian Reservation, about 40 miles north of Las Vegas.

The two-day RiSE festival, which ended Saturday, began in 2014 featuring music, food and uplifting energy. In 2015, RiSE attracted as many as 10,000 participants and about 21,000 lanterns. Friday’s grounds were packed with people, although official crowd counts weren’t available on Saturday.

At RiSE, attendees get to personalize lanterns — a sort of paper-bag balloon — with a message, prayer, reminder, dream or resolution. Once a small candle is lit inside, the bag rises like a hot-air balloon.

“I’m excited to be in the desert with lovers of light and stars. We’ll create a universe and send it up,” Laura Stahlberg, 57, of Dana Point, California, said. “We’re gonna raise the roof.”

The festival’s website said RiSE aims to shed light into nighttime darkness and into people’s lives. Participants share collective uplift — elevating hopes, dreams, sorrows, goals and desires, the site said.

“Everyone is meditating on something,” said Treva Swersky, a 55-year-old Dana Point, California, resident. “You can feel the energy.”

Natasha Cecere, 33, came to RiSE for a release and cleanse.

“I need to let go of stuff I don’t need anymore,” she said. “It’s a special thing and incredibly beautiful.”

Gates opened at 3 p.m., as attendees picked up their supplies: one mat, one felt-tipped pen and two lanterns. Las Vegan Ruby Munoz, 47, sat with her husband and family before writing on her lantern.

“I’m lighting this up for my angel,” she said. “(My husband’s) grandmother just passed away — we were close. (The lantern will) read, ‘Free from cancer, in heaven with the angels.’ ”

Local musicians played from 4 to 8 p.m., setting the aura. Festivalgoers prepared to launch their lanterns.

Martina Murray, 40, basked in the festive ambiance.

“I’m celebrating my birthday,” Murray, an Irish visitor from Dublin said. “I came to Vegas to celebrate and came to this (the festival) with friends.”

Lanterns launched starting at 8 p.m. followed by fireworks at 9.

“You can’t beat that first launch,” Riverside, California, resident Valerie Cabag said. “There’s good vibes and music.”

Contact Raven Jackson at rjackson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Follow @ravenmjackson on Twitter.