Grand Junction Water Lights: What You Need to Know

It's a sight everyone in the Grand Valley should see at least once. Hundreds of floating lanterns on Grand Junction’s Butterfly Pond after sunset. Some say it looks too pretty to be real.

Water Lights at Night is back Saturday, October 10, for families who want to decorate a lantern and send it out on the water, then stick around for a Colorado 150 and America 250 done show celebration.

Get our free mobile app

Water Lights at Night Returns to Grand Junction in October

Get your lantern kits ordered now before it’s too late. Water Lights at Night returns to Las Colonias on Saturday, October 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. Admission is free, with lantern decorating, music, and food trucks starting at 5 p.m. Lanterns will launch around 6:45 p.m.

Here's How Much Lantern Kits Cost in 2026

Stop what you are doing and order these kits right now. They cost more on the night of, and if you wait until the evening of the event, they may run out. A single lantern costs $8; a six-pack is $42. On October 10, the price goes up to $10 per lantern. Each kit includes a lantern, LED tea light, and two markers. Click here to order.

The Lanterns Are Only Part of What's Happening This Year

Can You Really Break Colorado's Grand Valley Curse? — TSM GJ WA

This year, the event doesn’t end after the launch. Grand Junction will host a special Colorado 150 and America 250 drone show following the water lights at night. Watch from the Las Colonias landing area or from above at Eagle Rim. In the past, weather has caused the event to be rescheduled, so be sure to keep an eye on the forecast in early October. Click here to visit the event page.

LOOK: Grand Junction’s New Rec Center Is Almost Ready: See Inside

Before the doors officially open, we got a chance to see what’s waiting inside Grand Junction’s new Community Recreation Center. From the five St. Mary’s Pools and their water features to the three-court gymnasium and climbing walls, take a closer look at some of the spaces that will soon become part of everyday life in Western Colorado.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

MORE: Hiking Under the Stars at Colorado National Monument

If you thought that the Colorado National Monument was already an unforgettable landscape during the day, wait until you see it at night. The photos below were taken during the monument's full moon hike on July 31. See what it's like to hike while the stars come out, and find out how you can attend these special events.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

NEXT: You’re Definitely From Grand Junction If You Say These 7 Things

You can usually tell right away when someone’s from Mesa County. Just like every region, the Western Slope has its way of talking—and a few phrases you won’t hear anywhere else in Colorado.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams