Lake and Lantern grew out of a lifetime spent creating experiences for other people.

Long before there was a name for it, my family was building haunted houses in our basement, turning ordinary spaces into themed worlds, organizing treasure hunts, putting on plays and musicals, and finding every excuse possible to create a little wonder. One year, we even transformed our entire house into a haunt. Family gatherings rarely involved “just a game” - everything became themed, immersive, and a little theatrical.

Growing up as one of sixteen siblings, creativity was never in short supply.

Over the years, that spirit continued in different ways. Some of my siblings created elaborate backyard worlds for their children. Others carried on family traditions that made ordinary moments feel magical. One tradition that stayed with me was the arrival of Santa Claus each Christmas when we were children - an experience so memorable that many of us continued it for our own kids years later. Those moments shaped the way I think about storytelling and atmosphere. To me, there is nothing quite like seeing genuine wonder in someone else’s eyes.

The idea for Lake and Lantern truly began to take shape years ago during a visit to a seasonal attraction with an exchange student. Throughout the evening, I kept finding myself saying, “I could make this better.” Finally, he looked at me and said, “Well do it then.”

Challenge accepted.

Lake and Lantern exists to create immersive seasonal experiences rooted in wonder, nostalgia, storytelling, and escapism. Inspired by the atmosphere of Chautauqua County and Western New York - with its lake shores, old forests, historic towns, and lingering nineteenth-century character - these events aim to feel timeless, transportive, and deeply human.

Whether through lantern-lit trails, literary gatherings, mysteries, harvest festivals, folklore-inspired experiences, or glowing autumn pathways, the goal is always the same:

to create places where people can step out of the ordinary for a little while and experience something memorable together.