When thousands of lanterns were headed for the lagoon, the City of Foster City posted one sentence to settle who was in charge, according to Hoodline's report: "Please be advised that this is not a City event."
The post also asked drivers to use caution around pedestrians near the park at 650 Shell Blvd. The Water Lantern Festival took over Leo J. Ryan Park on Oct. 3 and 4. Three weekends later, on Saturday, Oct. 24, the park hosts the city's own Halloween Festival. The lawn, the lagoon and the pressure on Shell Blvd are the same for both, but the rules differ: the promoter set them for the Water Lantern Festival, while the city will set them for the Halloween Festival on Oct. 24.
A Touring Production With a Ticket Page
The Water Lantern Festival is a traveling production. Hoodline reports it has set up in more than 175 cities and launched over 2 million lanterns since it began more than eight years ago. The company's own FAQ describes it as a for-profit event that donates to charities and nonprofits at each stop. Hoodline reported that 2,000 or more people were expected at the festival, an outlet estimate with no official count behind it.
The city's online calendar also carried the festival. Its entry for the second day described an evening along the lagoon with food trucks, live music, activities and the lantern launch. The calendar listing and the city's "not a City event" post can both be true. The city listed the event, while the promoter ran it.
The promoter's ticket page for Sunday, Oct. 4 listed the evening's schedule:
- Gates open at 5 PM
- Food trucks and music run from 5 to 9 PM
- Lantern design begins at 7:30 PM
- The lantern launch runs from 8 to 9 PM
- The event ends at 9 PM
General admission was listed at $30.99 for early bird pricing and $34.99 at the regular price, and prices on ticketing pages tend to move. The page said demand was high and the event was expected to sell out. The city and Hoodline both put the festival on Saturday and Sunday. The ticket page listed the Sunday schedule; Saturday's times are not given here.
What Came With a Promoter's Rulebook
The privately run festival had its own terms, which the promoter published:
- Children under 8 got in free without a ticket, and children 8 and older needed one.
- The festival ran rain or shine, though lightning or high winds could delay or reschedule it.
- Tickets were non-refundable but transferable.
- The event was alcohol-free.
- Outside lanterns were not allowed. Outside food and drink were welcome.
- Lanterns were lit with LED candles, so there were no open flames.
Refund and weather questions went through the promoter's ticketing channels, under the terms it wrote.
Parking Is Where the Two Events Split Apart
The promoter's ticket page mentioned ample parking, and its FAQ said parking varied by location and pointed attendees to an event guide for nearby lots. It also encouraged rideshare and carpooling. One attendee's October 2025 review on Yelp described parking near the park as difficult. That reviewer ended up in the Foster City Public Library and Community Center lot around the corner, and reported long lines at most food trucks about an hour into the evening.
The information cited here does not identify which lots the festival used, so the promoter's event guide was the document to check. The city's post also flagged a surge in foot traffic around the park.
The Halloween Festival Runs on the City's Clipboard
The Halloween Festival is a city event with a city page, and the page's requirements are specific. It runs Saturday, Oct. 24, from 11 AM to 2 PM, with games, entertainment and trick-or-treating for kids ages 2 to 12.
Pre-registration is required for all participants. Each child walks the trick-or-treat trail once. A child under 10 holding a trick-or-treat ticket must be accompanied by an adult who has a valid entrance ticket, so an adult needs their own ticket to go along. Businesses and organizations can apply through the city to host a booth on the Trick-or-Treat Trail, and the city page lists [email protected] for questions.
Last year's numbers give a sense of scale. According to the Almanac's Halloween guide, the 2025 festival was held in the Leo J. Ryan Park meadow. Entrance only was $5 for residents and $7 for nonresidents, and entrance with trick-or-treating was $10 for residents and $12 for nonresidents. Those are 2025 prices. The 2026 figures are on the city's Halloween Festival page. The 2026 page names the amphitheater for the costume contest and the magic show, so it is the place to check for this year's trail location.
The city's sponsorship page lists the Halloween Festival among the programs of the Foster City Youth and Teen Foundation. The foundation was established in 2009 to help fund a new teen center in Foster City. For parking, the city page names two lots. Attendees may park at The Vibe Teen Center lots at 670 Shell Blvd or at the Century Plaza lot at 1065 E Hillsdale Blvd.
Side by Side
| Water Lantern Festival | Halloween Festival | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Touring, for-profit promoter | City of Foster City Parks and Recreation |
| Dates | Oct. 3 and 4, per the city and Hoodline | Saturday, Oct. 24 |
| Hours | Sunday listing showed gates at 5 PM and an event end time of 9 PM | 11 AM to 2 PM |
| Getting in | Tickets were purchased through the promoter | Pre-registration through the city |
| Children | Under 8 got in free; ages 8 and older needed a ticket | Trick-or-treating for ages 2 to 12, adult ticket required for under 10 |
| Parking | Varied by location; attendees were directed to the event guide | The Vibe Teen Center lots and the Century Plaza lot |
| Alcohol | Alcohol-free | Not stated on the city page |
The Small Print for the 24th
The costume contest has its own sign-up, separate from festival registration. Anyone attending can enter by registering on site by 12:45 PM at no extra fee. The contest opens at 1:00 PM in the amphitheater with a short fashion show so the judges can see every costume, and winners are announced shortly afterward. Participants must be present in the amphitheater to win. Winners are featured on Foster City Recreation's social media pages, and a magic show follows at 1:30 PM.
Pre-registration is required for the festival, so the city's page is the place to check before the 24th.
If a question about Leo J. Ryan Park this month is still open, Julie Flouty is happy to compare notes. Let's Connect.
