Festive lanterns lit up Chester City Centre on Thursday night (November 30).

Chester’s Queen of Light joined hundreds of local school children for this year’s Lantern Parade.

The children left Chester’s Christmas Market at 7pm with their handmade lanterns along St Werburgh Street accompanied by the Queen of Light, walking along Eastgate Street to the Cross, down Bridge Street, then turning around and heading for Northgate Street, with the parade ending back at the Christmas Market in Town Hall Square.

Primary schools who took part this year included Cherry Grove, Belgrave, Boughton Heath, Hoole, Chester Bluecoat, Dee Point and Tarporley.

Cabinet member for communities and wellbeing councillor Louise Gittins said: “This is always a popular festive parade, the lanterns have been made by the children in workshops led by Chester artist Russell Kirk.

“Russell has made structures for parades including the Twelve Days of Christmas, Midsummer Watch, Winter Watch and Diwali, his Queen of Light structure adds to the Lantern Parade spectacle.”