BREAKING: The Feast of Lanterns Board votes to end the Pacific Grove tradition forever.

The light has finally been snuffed out of the Feast of Lanterns. The Feast's board of directors voted to permanently end the decades-long tradition that some have criticized as cultural appropriation of Chinese culture and inherently racist. The decision was announced late this afternoon on the nonprofit's Facebook page.

In the statement to end the Feast, the board said they heard the community loud and clear at Wednesday's Pacific Grove City Council meeting.

"The community that spoke said there was no way to make changes to the event that would remove the hurt of the past. We have been working on many changes since 2019, but listening to the people we have decided to end the Feast of Lanterns.

"We appreciate those that have served on the board, participants of the court, countless volunteers and sponsors throughout the many years."

The decision comes five days after the board issued an apology that some criticized as being too weak and a tactic to gain Council approval of its application to be a city-sponsored event this summer. The board withdrew its application on Tuesday.

Then on Wednesday night, over 30 people spoke passionately about the need for the Feast to end, testifying to the hurt the program brought. The Feast of Lanterns, which first began in 1905 but gained a strong foothold in 1958, featured mostly white teens who dressed in Asian-type costumes. Every July they presented a play purporting to be based on a Chinese legend, but in fact was a marketing scheme by a British company to sell fine china.

"Our hope is there can be a new summer celebration where everyone feels welcome," the board said in its statement.

For a detailed background on the Feast of Lanterns, see the Weekly's past coverage collected here.