The popular Chinese Dragon Lights display has canceled its summer return to Reno due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions.

This year, more than 30 new custom-made Chinese lantern installations were planned for the six-week light show beginning June 28 at the Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

On Feb. 28, the organizers of the lights display informed Artown, the Reno-based arts festival, that they had to cancel due to delays in international travel visa processing. The Chinese consulate is not taking new visa applications until May, according to Huiyuan Liu, a representative of Dragon Lights.

"We also have concerns that there might be an outbreak in the U.S. later this year," said Huiyuan Liu in a February email.

"Those concerns have been realized at this point," said Oliver X, spokesman for Artown. "If anything changes, they’ll update us."

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The Artown-sponsored event drew thousands of visitors in summer 2018, when the display featured approximately 40 elaborate lanterns, including a 200-foot long dragon. The head alone weighed 600 pounds, according to event organizers.

The festival is organized by Tianyu Arts & Culture Inc., the American subsidiary of the company Sichuan Tianyu, which is based in Zigong, China. Sichuan Tianyu works to educate people about Chinese folklore and culture through festivals held around the world.

Several performers from China traveled to Reno for the festival in 2018. The most popular performances included an act that featured Chinese yo-yos, which has become a sport in China.

The cancellation is unfortunate, but Oliver X said he's optimistic that there will not be any further coronavirus-related cancellations affecting Artown. The festival is booked and there are no other bookings from China or Italy, two of the countries most affected by coronavirus currently.

Artown is an annual, city-wide festival featuring daily music, theater, dance and visual arts events throughout the month of July.

Jenny Kane covers arts and culture in Northern Nevada, as well as the dynamic relationship between the state and the growing Burning Man community. She also covers the state's burgeoning cannabis industry (Check out her podcast, the Potcast, on iTunes.) Support her work in Reno by subscribing to RGJ.com right here.